


Revelations

by Slaskia



Series: Zendou [4]
Category: Halo
Genre: Betrayal, Civil War, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-27
Updated: 2010-06-27
Packaged: 2017-11-18 01:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/555542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slaskia/pseuds/Slaskia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeno worries about the tension building in the Covenant due to events surrounding the loss of the first Halo. Little does he know that what will happen next will not only rock his world, but completely shatter it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gi'vea

_High Charity_

 

Zeno leaned on the railing of the balcony, looking at the masses below him.  Though he could not hear anything clearly, he could see and hear the tension in his fellow Sangheili and even other member races.  Things had changed very quickly as of late and Zeno was still uncertain as to where he stood.  Changes that didn’t just affect him, but the whole Covenant. 

It had been eight years, since he joined the Covenant military and the SpecOps.  Eight years of knowing how things were supposed to be and his place in it.  The status quo, has been changed dramatically within the last few weeks and it all started because of those damn humans. 

The road to change started when the fleet invaded a particularly well protected human world called _Reach_.  While Zeno and Miko were still on the surface, Thel suddenly left with the fleet to chase a sole escaping human ship.  They were left with orders to assist the remaining forces in eradicating the human infestation and to locate a holy relic of great importance. 

While the humans ultimately lost Reach, they were able to steal the holy relic right from under their snouts.  Somehow, the humans had stolen one of their assault carriers, the _Ascendant Justice,_ and used it to not only steal the holy relic, but to rescue the surviving demons and other human forces.  Zeno would only learn the details once he and Miko finally were able to return to _High Charity_ and those details were terrifying.

They learned that Thel had found a Holy Ring, something the Covenant had been searching for many years.  What should have been a moment of triumph however, ended up in tragedy.  The forces aboard the human ship Thel had been chasing and hoping to destroy, managed to destroy the holy ring and later assist in the theft of the _Ascendant Justice_.  This small force of humans then proceeded to steal the holy relic from _Reach_ and then assaulted the _Unyielding Hierophant_ , one of their stations.  The _Unyielding Hierophant_ was destroyed, along with the fleet that was amassing for an invasion of another system.  It was a terrible blow to the Covenant military force. 

Thel ‘Vadamee, was subsequently striped of his rank and branded a heretic for his failures both at Halo and for allowing the humans to steal the _Ascendant Justice_.  Zeno’s gut told him Thel was made a scapegoat to pass blame upon for things he had little control over, but he dared not voice this opinion.  Even worse, on a more personal level, they found out that their beloved commander, Rtas ‘Vadumee, suffered a terrible blow himself. 

He and a squad of SpecOps were sent to investigate and repel an attack on one of their support vessels, the _Infinite Succor_.  They suspected the demon was responsible, but what they found instead was more terrifying then any human demon: the Flood.  Rtas was forced to have the ship destroyed by changing its course into a sun due to the threat the Flood posed to the Covenant.  He succeeded, but at a terrible cost:  he not only lost all of his squad, including Sub-Commander Kusovai, but nearly lost his own life as well.  The commander had lost most of his left mandibles and almost his half of his left forearm:  the medics were able save his arm, but his face would be forever be disfigured. 

The bad trend had not stopped there though.  More recently, the High Prophet of Regret led an fleet to another system, looking for another holy relic, only to find the human’s homeworld.  Regret was ill-equipped to fight the humans there and jumped out not long after the invasion started, only to discover another Holy Ring.  The human demon had followed him however and despite the best efforts of the honor guard, Regret was slain. 

The remaining Hierarchs, feeling the Sangheili were no longer capable of protecting them, replaced the Sangheili honor guard with the Brutes.  This caused an uproar within the Sangheili ranks and the Brutes, having long been oppressed by the Sangheili, walked with a new swagger in their steps.  The tension as of late was so thick, Zeno was certain a civil war was soon to break out and he did not know where he stood. 

Zeno had long felt the oppression of the brutes was wrong, having experienced firsthand himself what it was like.  However, the prophets sudden changing of tradition disturbed him: surely the prophets understood that the demon was a force of nature that few were able to stand up against.  Yet, as of late, the prophets seemed to think the Sangheili were becoming inadequate for their jobs, if what happened to Thel was any indication.  There was word that the Great Journey was to happen soon, if so, did the prophets still think the Sangheili had a place on it? 

Suddenly, something smacked him in the back of the head, breaking him out of his contemplations.  Turning around, he saw the one constant in his life as of late: Miko ‘Kemotee.  “What was that for?”  Zeno said to him, a faint smile on his face. 

Miko, a Sangheili male almost twice his age, grinned and put his hands on his hips in a mock scolding manner.  “About time you came back down to reality,” he said.  “I have been calling your name for the last couple of minutes.” 

“Eh…Sorry,” Zeno said sheepishly.  “Been thinking about all that has happened as of late.” 

“Who has not, my love?”  Miko said softly, looking off to the side as if checking to ensure no one else was within earshot.  “So much has happened in such little time….But now is not the time to ponder them, we have a show to watch.” 

“Yes, I heard the prophets have requested this group to come specifically to help relieve some of the tensions going around.” 

“To be honest, I do not think even the _Gi’vea_ can help relieve this kind of tension.  The changing of a tradition that has stood since the foundations of the Covenant is not being taken very lightly.” 

“I thought this was not the time to ponder on such things?”  Zeno looked at his lover with a mischievous grin. 

Miko blinked, then punched him in the arm. “Warso.  Come on, we do not want to be late.” 

They headed down to the spiritual district, which was the closest _High Charity_ had to a recreational area.  Most species of the Covenant were either not big on recreational activities or their form of _recreation_ didn’t mesh well with the other species.  There were a few bars in the merchant district that some species propagated in, but the event Zeno and his lover were going to was far too _refined_ to put in such a location. 

“I am curious…,”  Miko said as they walked.  “How come the _Gi’vea_ do not come here to _High Charity_ very often?  I have only heard of a trope coming there five times in my life time: you would think there would be a permanent house here.” 

“That is because the _Gi’vea_ prefer to work only with Sangheili,” Zeno explained.  “They train for years to perfect their arts for the Sangheili mindset and it would be…Tedious…to do the same for all other member species.” 

“I hardly think the other races would care how they danced….” 

Zeno chuckled, amused by his lovers lack of knowledge on what _Gi’vea_ did.  Then again, it was not likely Miko’s keep had a _Gi’vea_ training house.  “Dancing is not all they do, Miko.  They also soothe our bodies with skillful hands or ease our minds by being a willing ear.” 

“So…They also do massages and counseling work?”  Zeno nodded.  “I suddenly understand why they visit here so rarely:  I would not want to be one of them having to give a massage to a Brute.” 

“A Brute would not be permitted for such a thing anyway:  the _Gi’vea_ have long refused to provide that kind of service to other member species.  Same with the counseling.” 

“Really?  I am surprised the Hierarchs did not protest that.” 

“They did actually, back when it was just us and the San ‘Shyuum,” Zeno said.  “Nearly broke the Covenant then, but the _Gi’vea_ agreed to compromise before any bloodshed started.  They allowed the other member species to attend the dances, but nothing more:  fortunately, that was good enough for the San ‘Shyuum.” 

“And just how do you know all this?”  Miko gave him a look, to which Zeno just chuckled. 

“Well, first off, my keep has a _Gi’vea_ training house.  Second, my twin sister is a _Gi’vea_ and she used to talk my ear hole off about its history when she came to see me before I left.” 

“Your sister…That is right, you told me about her before.  I am surprised you do not message her regularly.” 

“ _Gi’vea_ tropes are constantly on the move, so they do not have a permanent ‘address’ to contact them with.  Which means that regular contact is pretty much impossible.” 

“A pity.  I am sure she misses you.” 

“I know she does…I miss her too.” 

“I am sure one day you will see her again, Zeno.”  Zeno simply smiled in response. 

As they entered the spiritual district, they saw that the number of patrons was noticeably higher than normal, most heading for the same location as they were.  “Looks like it is going to be standing room only for the show,” Zeno muttered as they made their way toward one corner of the district.  Here there were a series of tents, a number of seats and a stage set up.  Wandering around getting everything set up were the _Gi’vea_ themselves.  They were in casual attire at the moment, but Zeno knew that shortly they will all retreat to the dressing tent to change into performance clothing. 

“I am noticing a lot of former honor guards here,” Miko muttered as they managed to find a couple of seats. 

“Not surprising.  I would not be surprised if some of them want to utilize the _Gi’vea’s_ other services as well.”  Zeno looked around at the crowd.  _Yes, definitely going to be standing room only,_ he thought.  He noticed a fair number of Brutes in the audience, their faces covered with cocky smirks.  Their attitude was starting to get on his nerves, despite how he felt they deserved better treatment. 

“Oh this is exciting,” a major domo said as he sat down next to him.  “I have never been to one of these before.”  

Zeno glanced at him, a smirk on his face.  He noticed this major had green eyes: a rare thing for a male Sangheili.  “You are in for a treat then, brother,” Zeno said to him. 

“You have seen this before?”  The major looked at him, curiosity in his eyes.

 “No, this is my first as well,” Zeno confessed.  “But you can say I have inside information on what the show entails.” 

“Lucky.  How long until the show starts?” 

“Very soon.”  Zeno noticed the number of _Gi’vea_ outside the tents had suddenly dropped off dramatically.  The only ones left obviously trainees going by how old they looked. 

“No flirting on my watch.” He heard Miko say, feeling an accompanying elbow nudge. 

“Miko,” Zeno said with a chuckle, giving his lover’s hand a reassuring squeeze.  “You are my one and only.” 

“Just making sure,” Miko said with a grin. 

Just then, a rather aged female strode out of one of the tents and walked along one side of the stage.  She walked with a cane, but it didn’t seem to slow her down or diminish her imposing stature.  _The headmistress,_ Zeno thought.  _Why does she look familiar?_   The headmistress’ appearance had an effect on the crowd, which suddenly went quiet.  They watched as she scanned the crowd, Zeno noticing the faint look of distaste on her aged face when she spotted the Brutes in the audience.  

Then she turned and barked an order:  immediately two of the trainees rushed out and drew the curtain around the stage, blocking the audience’s view of it.  These two were a bit overeager, as when they met at the front center of the stage, they forgot to stop, colliding into each other and falling backwards onto their rumps.  Zeno heard a few chuckles from the crowd, Miko among them, as the Headmistress growled at the two klutzy trainees, whom immediately got back up on their hooves and into proper position, the shame on their faces evident. 

A note from a string instrument signaled the start of the show itself.  A few more string notes rang through then air followed by the boom of a percussion.  It was then that the curtains were drawn back, revealing a dozen dancers on the stage frozen in position.  They wore simple, sleeveless dresses with high cuts on the skirt, the colors ranging from red to yellow:  the colors of their home world.  A few of the less disciplined Sangheili hooted at them:  Zeno hearing faint growls of reprimand from those that were more mature. 

The music picked up a bit, the dancers starting their slow, flowing, haunting dance.  They only did their next movement at the sound of the percussion.  _The Sur’to,_ Zeno thought, with a smile.  Lila had told him, years ago, that the _Sur’to_ was a form of dance where the skill came in being able to hold their position until the next cue.  He remembered that Lila told him that she was found to be too energetic for this form of dance and was restricted to the _Hi’to_ , a much faster paced style of dance. 

“Boring…,” the major beside him grumbled:  Zeno gave him a strong elbow for that. 

“Show some respect,” Zeno whispered to him.  “The _Sur’to_ is said to be telling a story.” 

“I do not see a story….” 

Zeno shrugged.  “The story is not always obvious.” 

Moments later the _Sur’to_ ended and the curtain was closed: the trainees did not run into each other this time.  A moment later, a faster paced series of notes started and the curtains parted once more.  This time, there were only a half-dozen dancers on the stage and their attire was striking.  Unlike the _Sur’to_ dancers, these left little to the imagination:  they wore a vest like top, a long flowing skirt that was cut all the way to the hips and had flowing ribbons attached to their wrists and elbows.  Instead of reds and yellows, they sported blues, silvers, violets and lavenders. 

As the music started in earnest and the dancers started moving in elegant flourishes and spins, Zeno realized he wasn’t going to be focused on the dance as a whole.  Among the dancers, he spotted a very familiar face. 

His twin sister, Lila.


	2. Changes

Lila had developed well over the last eight years.  Her body was lean and well toned, her motions were smooth and graceful and her emerald eyes sparkled with life.  He may be semo, but even a semo could recognize a female that would be highly desired by the non-semo males and Lila was certainly one of those. 

“Oooh…This is more like it…,” the young major beside him groaned.  “Blood, I may have to leave early.”  Zeno chuckled as he watched him cross his legs out of the corner of his eye.  “I wonder if any of them are available for breeding….” 

Zeno snorted at the comment.  “Unless you are willing to wait at least a year, that would be a ‘no’,” he said. 

“Huh? Why?”  On his other side, he noticed Miko was giving him a similar questioning look. 

“When a female is fully initiated into a _Gi’vea_ troupe, she is forbidden from taking a mate for ten years.  After that, she is free to choose who she wants.” 

The major groaned in disappointment, Zeno noticing a couple other groans as well:  apparently, he educated more than one young Sangheili male about this today.  _Better they are told now, then to get smacked in the groin later when they try to seduce one later,_ he thought with a smirk. Focusing his attention back on the dance, and on Lila, he could see his twin was clearly enjoying herself.  He just hoped that if she happened to spot him the crowd that it wouldn’t lead her to distraction. 

 _She only has two years left,_ Zeno thought with a slight frown.  _After that, she will likely be swarmed with potential suitors, if the current kaidon does not marry her off first._   He nearly scowled aloud at the thought.  Most kaidons respected the _Gi’vea_ and allowed them to choose who they wanted, but once in a while the political pull a kaidon could gain by offering a _Gi’vea_ as marriage material was too tempting to resist.  

Zeno did not know who the current kaidon of his keep was, nor did he really care: it was likely someone that would have hated him for what he was anyway.  He silently vowed that if the kaidon _did_ decide to force Lila to marry someone she did not want, he would have something to say about that.  After all, Lila promised Zeno her firstborn to raise as his own child and he would much prefer Lila chose who the blood sire was then some bastard that only saw her as a political tool. 

The _Hi’to_ dance ended and Lila disappeared behind the curtain.  Another _Sur’to_ followed, the dancers in slightly different outfits this time.  The colors, while still the home world colors, were more faded and not as bright.  The music here took a more sorrowful tone, the dancers movements slower with the cues spaced out further.  This one ended with all the dancers bowing toward the audience on the last cue and the curtain drawing closed for the last time.  Those in the audience that had been to a show before got up and started to leave, though a few wandered toward the headmistress, likely to see about other services. 

“That is all?”  The major whined.  “I thought this was supposed to be longer….” 

“Three sets, that is all,” Zeno said as he got up. 

“Pity, oh well, I will have some sweet dreams tonight anyway.”  Zeno chuckled as he watched the major get up and walk away.  He himself, started toward the stage. 

“Zeno, where are you going?”  Miko asked, following him. 

“To speak to someone I have not seen in years,” Zeno said with a smile, his eyes searching for his sister.  He spotted her helping the musicians carry their instruments back into one of the tents.  Not wanting to startle her and likely drop the fragile instrument, he waited until she came back out again to call out her name.  “Lila!”  He cried, waving his hand. 

Lila, surprised at hearing her name, looked around for the source.  When she saw him, her eyes widened at first in shock, then in joy as she rushed toward him.  “Zeno!”  He heard her cry and within seconds, she had her arms wrapped around his neck, embracing him.  Zeno chuckled and returned the gesture.  “It is so good to see you again, brother.” 

“Aye, sister, it has been years,” Zeno said smiling.  

“Lila ‘Ribal!”  The headmistress suddenly growled, coming toward them. “Remember the protocols!” 

“It is alright, headmistress,” Lila said to her.  “This is my twin brother, Zeno, you remember him surely?” 

The headmistress narrowed her eyes at him, and then her harsh features softened.  “Ah, yes I do remember.”  She poked him in the gut with her cane.  “You have filled out nicely, Zeno.” 

“Thank you madam.” Zeno bowed to her out of respect. 

“And who is this?”  She pointed her cane at Miko.  “Not someone who is trying to sneak one my girls away, I pray.” 

“I assure you, madam,” Miko said, looking a little intimidated by the cane.  “That I have no such intentions.” 

“And on my honor, headmistress, I will ensure he behaves himself,” Zeno added. 

“Very good.  I will leave you be, Lila, but do not take long:  you have other duties to attend to before the next showing.” 

“Understood, headmistress,” Lila said, bowing. 

“You seem to be doing well for yourself.”  Zeno said, as the headmistress walked away. 

“I do what I can,” Lila said as they sat down in some of the seats.  “Who is your friend?” 

“This, is the love of my life, Miko ‘Kemotee.” Zeno said, patting Miko on the leg, whom blushed. 

Lila beamed at the news.  “A pleasure to meet you Miko and I am glad he has found you.  Zeno had long been hateful of his own nature.” 

“Tell me about it,” Miko said with a smirk.  “Took me months to finally win him over.” 

“What can I say? I am stubborn…,”  Zeno grinned. 

“Indeed you are, brother.” Lila giggled, then her face went sullen. 

“What is wrong, sister?” 

“A lot has changed in the keep since you left, Zeno,” she said sadly.  “There is much to tell you and I do not know if I have the time to tell it.” 

While Zeno personally did not care about the keep anymore, he could tell it was bothering her and wanted to let this out.  “I imagine a lot has changed since Kou’s death,” he said softly.  “Can you give me a short version of events?  We can discuss the details another time.” 

“I do not know if I can shorten it adequately in the time I have, but I will try,” Lila said.  However, before she could begin they were interrupted. 

“Zeno!  Miko!”  A familiar voice said.  They turned to see Justal, in full armor, heading in their direction. 

“Oh, what does he want?” Miko muttered.  “Things were about to get juicy.” 

Zeno gave his lover a look, then they all stood as Justal joined them.  “What is it Justal?  You are interrupting something rather important,” Zeno asked. 

Justal, however, seemed to have gotten distracted by the sight of Lila and was now leering at her.  “Hello, beautiful…,” he said seductively. “Mmm…I would not mind you on my shaft….” 

Zeno felt a rush of rage: how dare he speak to her that way!  Before anyone else could react, he struck Justal in the snout.  The SpecOps staggered backwards, holding his face.  “Mind your mouth you uncultured cretin!”  Zeno hissed.  “You do not speak to a _Gi’vea_ **_or_** my sister that way!” 

“Your sister?”  Justal blinked, looking between the two.  “Awww blood….” 

“You are lucky he hit you first,” Lila said, looking disgusted.  “I would have hit you lower….” 

Justal got the point and quickly covered his nether regions.  “I would rather keep my ability to sire young, thank you.” 

“I would suggest you tell us whatever it is you wanted to tell us, before Zeno, or Lila, decides to give you more punishment for you rudeness,” Miko said, folding his arms. 

“Right, right….”  Justal backed away a few more paces.  “The commander is recalling all the recon pairs.  He wants you meet with him in his quarters immediately.” 

Zeno sighed heavily.  “Looks like even the short version will have to wait,” he said. 

“So it seems,” Lila said, looking disappointed.  “Take care of yourself, brother.  I hope to see you again soon.”

“Same here, sister.”  Zeno gave his sister an affectionate nuzzle, she returning the gesture, before parting ways.  As he and Miko headed out of the spiritual distinct, Zeno’s mind started to wander.  Though she was happy to see him, Lila looked extremely troubled during the brief time they spoke. 

“What is on your mind, Zeno?” Miko said, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

“I wonder about what Lila wanted to tell me,” Zeno said with a sigh.  “All I know is that it was about our keep.  Thing is, she knows how I feel about our keep.” 

“Which is?” 

“That I want little to do with it,” Zeno growled faintly.  “Lila and Kou were the only reasons I would have wanted to return:  no one else in that place cared a lick about me.” 

“She did say that things have changed, maybe their stance on you has improved for the better?” 

“I do not know, but a part of me doubts it.” 

“Perhaps someday you should return and see for yourself?” 

“I would rather have information on the keeps status before heading back, so I am prepared, both physically…And mentally.” 

“Understandable.”  Miko then muttered something Zeno barely caught. “I wish I had been, long ago.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

Miko blushed and turned his head away.  ‘It is nothing, Zeno.  It is…Irrelevant to the present.” 

Zeno didn’t quite believe him, but could tell his lover wasn’t willing to talk about it.  “Very well,” he said softly. 

\-- 

They didn’t bother stopping by their room to change into their armor, not with Justal’s message sounding so urgent.  When they entered the commander’s quarters, the sight of every SpecOps assigned to the recon unit being present greeted them.  Some were in their armor, while others, like them, were in their civilian clothing.  “Justal was not kidding when he said it was total recall,” Miko muttered. 

“Indeed.  Any idea what this is all about?”  Zeno asked the group. 

“No idea,” One of them, Gilum his name was if Zeno remembered correctly, said.  “That he called all of us here suggests it is something very important.” 

“Where is the commander?” 

“In the other room,” another, Henun, said.  “He said he will be back in here shortly.” 

“Probably to collect himself, that is my guess,” Miko said.  “If this is as important as it seems.” 

They didn’t have to wait long.  Rtas stepped into the room moments later and immediately Zeno noticed that how disturbed Rtas looked.  He watched as the commander looked around at all of them, a faint smile of pride creasing his face.  “You are all here, good,” Rtas said, moving to the middle of the room.  “What I have to say will shock you all, perhaps even cause you to question your loyalty to the Covenant.” 

“It is something that dire, commander?” Henun asked.  

“That is a matter of opinion, Henun, but we all know what has been happening as of late.”  There were nods of agreement all around.  “The Hierarchs have broken one of the longest traditions in the Covenant by replacing the honor guard with Brutes and word is, that those savages are now taking the place of shipmasters within our fleets as well.” 

“What!?”  Miko cried and he wasn’t the only one that made such a cried.  “Have the Prophets lost all faith in us!?” 

“I do not know, though it appears to be so,” Rtas said solemnly.  “Regardless, the Hierarchs claim the Great Journey will soon begin.  With that knowledge and the fact that the human homeworld has been found, the Hierarch has ordered me to disband the recon unit.” 

There was no outcry this time: only shocked silence.  “Why?”  Zeno finally spoke up.  “Yes, we have found the heathen’s homeworld and soon it will be cleansed, but they no doubt have colonies and other settlements still yet to be discovered.  Not to mention the demon that is still running around on the sacred ring, likely looking for a way to stop the Great Journey from happening.  It is premature to disband such an essential unit now, Great Journey or not.” 

“The demon’s status is unknown: it has not been seen since Regret’s murder, Zeno,” Rtas said.  “Still, you have a valid point, Zeno.  It _is_ premature, but I had no say in the matter.” 

“What will become of us then?”  Henun asked. 

“Most of you will remain with me, though some will likely be transferred to other fleets.  I will ensure, certain pairs are not separated.”  He looked specifically at Zeno and Miko.  “This will take time to finalize, so in the mean time, as a last mission as a recon unit, you have been tasked to be the perimeter watch around the control center of the Holy Ring.  Soon, the High Council will be taken there to observe the start of the Great Journey and the Hierarchs want to ensure the area is secure.” 

“Basically we will be babysitting the Brute honor guard when they arrive. Lovely,” Miko sneered. 

“The Prophets insisted on the extra security for such an important event, so it is imperative that we work together.  The humans are still out there, their demon possibly among them:  we cannot risk them interrupting the activation of the Ring.”  Rtas took a deep breath before he continued. “The other concern is the possibility of the parasite being present on this Ring.  They were present on the Ring the demon destroyed and on the gas mine where the recently vanquished heretics gathered, so I have every reason to believe they may be present on _this_ Ring as well.  You are fortunate so far that none of you have encountered the parasite, but that may change soon.  Therefore it is in your best interest to know how to combat it, should it appear.” 

The Flood.  Zeno had heard many horrid tales about them, both from the survivors that managed to escape the first holy ring before it was destroyed and from Rtas himself.  The commander’s experience would be valuable indeed if his concerns about the parasite being on the ring turneds out to be true.  “Share with us your wisdom and experience then, commander,” Zeno said.  “So that we may know how to combat the parasite and avoid the fate many befell to them.” 

Rtas nodded and walked over to a console.  After typing in a command, a few schematics popped up, showing four different Flood forms.  One looked vaguely human, while the other was distressingly Sangheili.  The third looked like a walking gas bag and the last looked like a smaller version of the walking gas bag, only with many tentacles as legs:  Zeno felt a shiver go up in his spine just looking at it.  “Energy swords work best against them, but I would advise not letting them get too close if you can help it.  Any plasma weaponry will work well, if you know where to shoot them,” Rtas began. “Now, heed well to what I am about to tell you my brothers, for it may save your life…And your sanity….”


	3. Schism

_Delta Halo_

 

Zeno yawned, feeling very bored.  A short distance away, Miko was looking bored himself, kicking at stones with an armored boot.  The spot they were dropped off at for this ‘perimeter’ duty was a small, rocky meadow near the edge of a cliff.  Beyond the cliff was an ocean, and the rest of the area was covered with forest.  It was pretty, but the beauty of the location and worn off on him a while ago:  would the Great Journey just start already? 

Worse, they not only received confirmation of the presence of the Flood on the ring, but that Arbiter had fallen on his last mission.  The chieftain of the Brutes, Tartarus, was witness to the Arbiter’s death, a fact that no doubt raised suspicion of Tartarus ‘helping’ the Arbiter along in his death in more than one Sangheili mind.  Miko, was one of those and he wasn’t taking the current assignment very well either. 

“Recon…Reduced to babysitters, how insulting.”  Miko muttered, kicking at another stone.  “Seems the Prophets are not so confident of their new _bodyguards_ if we need to sit on our rumps as backup for them.” 

“I am certain the Hierarchs are just being extra cautious due to what they are trying to accomplish,” Zeno pointed out.  “We do not want the Demon to come crashing the ceremony, after all.” 

“If it is even still alive you mean,” Miko snorted.  “I am more worried about those damn Brutes.  If they are willing to kill the Arbiter, who is to say they will not try to do the same with the High Council?” 

“Miko, we have no proof the Arbiter was slain at the hands of the Brutes.  Such wild speculation will only get you marked as a heretic.” 

“Tartarus was there when the Arbiter fell, Zeno,” Miko pointed out.  “He admitted that much.  Who is to say that he did not ‘fudge’ the facts a little?” 

“Enough with the Brute hate!”  Zeno walked up to Miko and got into his face.  “What is it with you and the majority of our people hating Brutes so?  They have done nothing to us to earn our scorn.” 

“They are uncultured, savage, barbarians with no honor, Zeno.  The humans are more civilized than they are.” 

“Uncultured?  Or just different?  We _both_ know what it is like to be scorned just because we are _different_.” 

“It is different in our case; we are the same species as those that despise us.” 

“And that makes it fine to oppress another species just because they do not have the same culture as us?” 

“Huh, you lambast me about hating Brutes, when you are not so different when it comes to the humans.” 

“Their crimes are clear, Miko.  They are unworthy of existence because of them.” 

“What crimes?  The Covenant are the aggressors, trying to drive them to extinction.  Everything they are doing is simply to try to survive our attacks!  And yes, that includes whatever it is they were trying to do to you on _Truy_.” 

“The Covenant does not experiment on other sentient beings.” 

“The Brutes _consume_ the flesh of other sentient beings, even ours if they were given a chance.” 

“Maybe if we did not keep their food rations low they would not have been driven to do so!” 

“You are wrong; they do this even when they have plenty of _normal_ food available.” 

Zeno growled, unable to counter that point.  Sensing the upper hand, Miko pressed on.  “Tell me something, Zeno.  Every species the Covenant has encountered since its very foundation was absorbed into the Covenant, all save one: the humans.  All because they defiled holy relics?  Blood, the hunter worms used to _consume_ the holy relics until we brought them into the Covenant.  That, to me, is far worse than anything the humans have _ever_ done.” 

Zeno was about to respond when something in the sky caught his eye.  Looking up, he saw the holy city of _High Charity_ with its massive fleet.  However, there were explosions all around it.  “Miko…Look…In the sky!” He said. 

 “No changing the subject!” Miko growled. 

“No seriously, look!”  Zeno pointed.  “Something is happening with the Fleet around _High Charity.”_  

Miko snorted, but finally looked.  He saw his partner’s eyes widen in shock.  “What is going on up there?  Did the humans bring in reinforcements?” 

“Even if they did, they would not stand a chance against a Fleet that size.” 

“I am not seeing any human ships up there…Only our own….” 

“But…Would that not mean they are fighting each other?” 

Miko looked at him, his eyes wide.  “Zeno…Remember what the commander said?  About the Prophets replacing our shipmasters with Brutes?  And the uproar it caused?” 

Zeno swallowed thickly, getting what Miko was hinting at.  “A civil war?  With the Great Journey so close?” 

Before either of them could come to a conclusion on the matter, there was an explosion at their feet.  Knocked off his feet and his shields screaming in alarm, it took Zeno a few precious seconds before he was able to reorient himself and scramble behind a large rock.  Looking around, he spotted Miko getting behind a rock of his own, a short distance away. 

“Zeno are you alright?” he heard Miko call out to him. 

“I am fine,”  Zeno replied. “But who attacked us?” 

He got his answer seconds later; the responsible party finally emerged from the forest and Zeno’s eyes widened in shock when he saw them.  They were Brutes, only four of them, but Brutes all the same.  Two broke off and went after Miko, while the remaining two continued to concentrate on Zeno.  Fools, one Sangheili warrior was more than a match for two Brutes.  But why were they attacking them at all? Then he remembered the battle in the sky.  If a civil war has really started, then the fighting has no doubt spread to the ring itself. 

Steeling his mind at that likely possibility, he started to return fire.  He had no reason to believe he and Miko would lose this fight:  after all, they had shields, armor and better training.  Yet these Brutes were taking far longer to drop than any human, their fur and greater bulk allowing them to soak up a lot more fire.  It didn’t help that Zeno was not the best at using long-range weaponry.  Glancing to the side, he noted Miko was having similar troubles.  

At last, the first Brute fell, one of Miko’s, and seconds later Zeno felled his first on his end.  He looked at his charge level on his rifle:  not enough to take down the second brute and even if there was it would be so low in charge that it would be useless if more foes came.  Therefore, he put it away and brought out his kisans, the plasma blades materializing and hungry for blood. 

The Brute didn’t even flinch when Zeno vaulted over the rock he had been using as cover.  Showed no fear as Zeno charged at him, roaring a battle cry.  A hint of worry started to crease the furry beast’s face when it realized that Zeno was not stopping no matter how much he was being pelted with fire.  Finally there was terror as Zeno lopped off both the Brute’s arms, then speared him in the chest with both blades. The Brute fell, Zeno grateful they were as susceptible to the sword as any other being.  Then he turned to assist Miko with the last.  What he saw next would forever been cemented in his mind. 

There was a _fifth_ Brute and it was almost directly behind Miko.  Zeno shouted out a warning, just as this Brute struck out with some kind of bladed weapon.  Miko turned, only to see the blade just before it impaled him, Zeno seeing the blade tip erupt from Miko’s back.  

“Noooo!”  Zeno cried, his legs moving on their own accord as he sprinted toward Miko.  The Brute that had impaled him pulled its weapon out of Miko, then grabbed the still living Sangheili by the neck and hefted him aloft.  When the Brute saw Zeno rushing toward him, it tossed Miko aside as if he was nothing, Miko rolling to a stop against another rock, a small pool of purple blood already forming beneath him. 

The Brute Miko had not finished off yet charged Zeno, roaring a battle cry of its own.  Zeno bent his long legs and simply leapt over the foe, his target the Brute that had harmed Miko.  The other Brute brought his weapon forward, giving Zeno his first good look at it.  It looked like a human weapon, likely scavenged from the battlefield.  That this Brute was willing to taint itself by holding a human weapon angered Zeno all the more. 

When he reached the Brute, his blades became a bright blur of righteous fury.  The Brute’s human weapon was no match against his plasma ones, the blades cut through the heretic weapon as if it was nothing.  The blades also sliced through the Brutes flesh and bone like it was nothing. 

Before he could check on Miko though, a pair of powerful, furry arms grabbed him and Zeno realized his error.  There was still one more Brute and while he was turning the other into ribbons, it had gotten the drop on him.  Now he was being squeezed to death in the Brute’s strong grip and with his arms pinned, there was nothing he could do. 

Suddenly the Brute’s grip slackened.  Zeno didn’t waste any time breaking himself free, turning around and thrusting his swords into the Brute’s chest.  He realized then that the Brute was already dead and when it finally slumped to the ground he saw why.  Behind it was Miko, still prone on the ground where he was thrown, but he was holding up his plasma rifle in their direction. 

“Miko!”  Zeno cried as deactivated his swords and rushed to his lover’s side.  Carefully he turned him over onto his back and started fumbling in his armor compartments for the medkit.  “Hang on….” 

“That…Bastard…,” Miko whizzed.  “Severed my spine….” 

“Nothing a Huragok cannot fix love…Just need to stabilize you first, then call for an evac.”  Zeno found the medkit and removed the sealant gel package.  He hoped he could apply it adequately, for his hands were shaking so much.  Then, just as he was about to remove the seal on the applicator, Miko reached up and stopped him, shaking his head.  “But Miko…If I do not apply this, you will bleed to death.” 

“I…Am doomed…Either way,”  Miko said softly, regret in his voice. 

“Da…Don’t talk like that Miko.  You will be just fine…Just so long as we….” 

Again Miko shook his head.  “That Brute…Severed more than my spine…Zeno…” 

Zeno looked down and saw bubbles forming in the blood coming from the exit wound:  he had a punctured lung.  And likely several perforated organs and important blood vessels. “Even more reason to let me use this Miko!”  He pleaded.  “Please, let me….” 

“I am done for…Zeno….Even if you…Use that…I will bleed out…From within.” 

Miko’s voice was getting weaker and his skin was turning paler: he was losing him.  “No…no…I can…I can’t lose you….”  Zeno, tears forming in his eyes, lifted Miko’s torso up and held him close.  “Stay with me…Please…Stay with me….” 

“Zeno….”  He felt Miko gently brush the side of his face with his fingers.  “I love you…Please…Live for me….”  Miko’s eyes dilated and rolled back into his head.  His hand and head went limp, his body now a dead weight in his arms. 

“No…Miko….”  Zeno shook him.  “Miko…Don’t leave me…Come back…Please come back….”  No matter how much he pleaded and begged, Miko did not respond.  He was dead.  Grief stricken, Zeno cut loose a cry of denial, not caring if friend or foe heard it. 

As he held Miko’s body, he became dimly aware of the chatter on the battlenet.  Pleas for help and backup.  Reports of more attacks on Sangheili positions by the Brutes.  His already sickened hearts became even more so when the realization sank in that the Sangheili were not the aggressors here, not the ones that started this civil war.  It was the Brutes and they were attacking in force, killing his brothers. 

Zeno was conflicted.  Should he go try to aid his brothers?  Yet in the back of his mind was Miko’s last words: to live.  To go help his fellow Sangheili would surely mean his death, yet wouldn’t a death by combat be preferable?  Held prisoner by the conflicting thoughts of long held Sangheili tradition and the desires to fulfill his lovers last wishes, Zeno stayed put. 

Then a new sound emerged, assaulting his already ravaged senses.  It was a wet, squishy sound, multiplied dozens of times over.  Then he saw the source:  dozens of sickly brown colored bulbous bodies about the size of his head came crawling up and over the edge of the cliff close by.  Zeno recognized them immediately from the commander’s briefings and his hearts filled with dread. 

The Flood. 

They were infection forms, the weakest of the flood forms Rtas briefed him and the others on.  Clutching Miko’s body close to him, Zeno watched as the swarm of infection forms moved across the small field.  Deep in his mind he knew he should do something, anything, but he found himself frozen in both terror and fascination.  Some of the forms stopped by the bodies of the brutes that were slain, one of them then borrowing into the chest cavity of the corpse. 

Zeno felt his stomach churn as the corpses twitched and writhed, sickly bulbous extrusions emerging from the skin, said skin turning partly yellow and sickly.  Of the five brute bodies, three rose to their feet and turned on him, along with them more infection forms, with more joining them by the second.  He realized his mistake in not acting sooner:  now he had three combat forms bearing down upon him. 

Having no choice, Zeno let go of Miko’s body and drew his kisans.  The closest combat form charged, swinging it’s grossly malformed left arm at him.  It fell easily to his blades, Zeno noticing that the body was much easier to cut through than a living Brute was.  The remaining two combat forms were lumbering toward him slowly, but the infection forms were now upon him.  Worse, they had an interest in Miko. 

“No!”  Zeno cried, swinging his blades low rapidly, both to protect himself and Miko’s body.  Infection forms popped almost the moment any force hit them, but there were so many of them:  when one perished, five took its place. 

His shields suddenly screamed and Zeno found himself knocked away.  Quickly he rolled to his feet and saw one of the two remaining combat forms by Miko’s body.  “Get away from him!”  Zeno hissed, charging at the creature and impaling it on one of his blades. 

 _He will join me…._ An ominous voice said as the last combat form charged.  Odd, Rtas never mentioned that these things could talk.  Yet, it sounded like it came from not only the combat form, but also in his head.  It was unnerving.

 Putting it out of his mind for the moment, Zeno disposed of the last combat form, then focused on protecting Miko’s body from the remaining infection forms.  ‘Remaining’ turning out to be ‘endless’ instead, as they kept on coming.    

 _Join me…End the torment of your existence._  

“No!  Never!”  Zeno snarled as he kicked, stomped, and sliced any infection form that got too close.  

Now the infection forms were leaping at him, one or two occasionally getting through his defenses.  Though they died instantly when they hit his shields, they took a chunk of his shield strength with them.  Can these things turn the living into a combat form?  Zeno did not really want to find out. 

An infection form got by him and crawled onto Miko:  Zeno immediately kicked it off.  _He will join me._   That voice said.  _As will you._  

“Shut up!”  Zeno cried, redoubling his efforts. 

 _You are only preventing the inevitable…Your strength is failing.  Join me and know a strength you have never dreamed of!_  

The thing, whatever and where ever it was, was right about one thing:  Zeno was tiring.  He could feel the ache in his limbs, his sword movements slowing.  Eventually, he would fall to this endless onslaught. 

 _Zeno…Live for me…._  

 _If you do not want the parasite to turn your fallen comrades against you, you must destroy their bodies._  

The words of Miko and his commander echoed in his head.  If he insisted on trying to prevent the parasite from taking Miko like this, he will have gone against Miko’s dying wish.  However, Rtas’ words reminded him of the means to both deny the parasite Miko and himself.  The thought of what needed to be done hurt terribly, but he knew he had no choice.  

“You will not have Miko or me!” Zeno cried definitely, putting away one sword long enough to grab and prime a plasma grenade.  He then turned and threw the grenade onto Miko’s body and ran. 

 _Forgive me…_ He thought as he plunged into the nearby forest, the sound of the grenade deafening in his ears and heavy on his hearts.  _Forgive me for not reciting the death benediction to you…Forgive me for desecrating your body…._  

His eyes half blinded by tears of grief and regret, he ran on, long after the threat of the Flood was far behind him….


	4. Plans

He ran until his legs finally gave out underneath him.  Zeno lay there on the hard earth, panting heavily, for several long moments before finally forcing himself to his feet.  His legs felt like rubber, forcing him to lean against a tree to keep himself upright.  _This did not just happen…_ , he thought.  _Miko…We were supposed to always be together…Why?  Why did you have to die?_  

His world was falling apart.  First the drastic changes in the Covenant, hints and rumors that the Sangheili were no longer favored.  Brutes now slaying his people for a reason he did not know beyond possible revenge for years of oppression.  And now the love of his life was dead. 

 _The commander…Is he alright?_ He thought.  _Lila…._   His eyes widened in realization.  There was a battle going on around _High Charity_ as well.  Looking up, he could see the battle had grown in intensity.  The Ring, the Fleet…Fights had to be breaking out in the city itself as well, which could mean…. 

“Lila!”  Zeno cried, running anew.  There was no question that his sister was in grave danger.  _Gi’vea_ may have some defensive skills, but they would be helpless against armed Brutes hell bent on killing any Sangheili they came across.  He had to get back to _High Charity_ and find her.  If he lost her…He would have nothing left to live for. 

Zeno didn’t get very far before he crashed into something, or something crashed into him.  He fell to the forest floor, dazed and shaking his head, wondering what the hell hit him. 

“Blood!  Watch where you are going!”  A voice said in distinctive Sangheilian. 

After shaking the stars out of his vision, Zeno got to his feet and got his first look at the owner of the voice.  It was a major domo, himself getting to his feet:  Zeno quickly recognized him as the major that sat next to him during the _Gi’vea_ show.  “What are you doing here?”  Zeno asked.  “I would have thought you would still be on _High Charity_.” 

The major blinked at him for a moment. “Oooh!  I remember you: you were at the _Gi’vea_ dance,” he said excitedly.  “I got recalled to my ship not long after the show.  Shortly after, all this fighting started: myself and a bunch of others were tasked with helping SpecOps Commander ‘Vadumee push back the Brutes down here.  Unfortunately, our phantom was shot down by those furry bastards as we approached the landing zone.  Most were killed in the impact….” 

“And those that survived?” 

“We decided to split up and take different paths to the rendezvous point.  Since Brutes track by scent, we figured if we spread out they would not be able to pin point us down so easily.” 

“But alone, they can overwhelm you that much easier,”  Zeno pointed out. 

“Perhaps, but it would be an honorable death.” 

Zeno shuddered faintly.  Would Miko’s death be considered honorable?  His fatal wounds were acquired in combat yes, but he bleed to death _after_ the battle was over.  “What about you?” the major asked.  “What is your story?” 

“My…Partner and I were tasked with perimeter guard duty,” Zeno said softly.  “We were attacked by a group of five:  my partner fell during the fighting.”  It was a slight spin on events, but Zeno could not bear the thought of going into detail on how Miko died.  Fortunately, the major simply nodded, accepting his tale. 

“Looks like you came across something else as well,” the major said, pointing to some yellow green stains on his armor. 

“The Flood….” 

It was the major’s turn to shudder.  “I have heard horror stories about them.” 

“Anything you have heard is likely true….” 

“Well, enough about why we are here.  I need to get going:  you should come along as well.  Commander Vadumee will no doubt be pleased to having one of his SpecOps join him.” 

“Only if he understands why I left my post….”  Zeno said grimly as he started to follow. 

“Considering what happened? I think he will.  You would know him better than I.  Oh, the name is Ne’zu, Ne’zu ‘Sahantee.” 

“Zeno ‘Ribalee.” 

\-- 

The rendezvous point was a small canyon just beyond some Forerunner structures.  Littered throughout it were destroyed vehicles with both Sangheili and Brute bodies present.  Some of the living Sangheili present were busying themselves giving their falling brothers the final rite, or gathering up useable weapons.  Sangheili were of various ranks, likely remnants of squads decimated by the Brute attacks.  Zeno felt disheartened when he realized there were few SpecOps here and of the handful he saw, only two he recognized:  Henun and Bateli. 

“Zeno!”  Henun said when he saw him.  “It is good to see another Recon has made it.  Where is….”  Zeno shook his head before he finished the question, his eyes down cast and feeling the heavy weight of grief on his hearts once more.  “Oh…Zeno…I am so sorry….” 

Zeno simply shook his head again, unable to say anything.  Ne’zu looked between them, looking confused.  “Where is the commander?  We need to let him know we are here.” Ne’zu spoke up after a moment, apparently deciding it was best not to pry. 

“He is at the end of the canyon, formulating a plan,” Henun replied.  “Oh!  You should know this, but there is good news.” 

With all that has happened within the last couple of hours, Zeno doubted anything would lighten his mood.  

“What is it?”  Ne’zu said. 

“The Arbiter still lives!”  Henun said excitedly.  “I saw him speaking to the commander myself while I was scouting on the cliff tops.  I heard him mention something about going to the Control room, to stop Tartarus.” 

“The control room…Where they were to start the Great Journey?  Why would the noble Arbiter want to stop that?” 

“I do not know:  he did not say.  He looked very troubled though, like he discovered something terrible.” 

Zeno felt both relieved and yet disturbed at the same time.  What had the Arbiter gone through to wish to stop the Great Journey from starting?  Was it to spite Tartarus? Or something far more sinister?  It was too much for his already ravaged mind to handle right now.  “Let us go, Ne’zu.  The commander needs to know we are here.” He said softly as he started heading for the other end of the canyon. 

He spotted Rtas talking to a zealot a short time later, an intact Phantom not far behind them.  Zeno felt a small bit of joy that his commander and friend looked well, though his joy would be short lived. 

“Whoa…What happened to his face?” Ne’zu blurted out as the approached. 

Zeno snarled softly and gave him a sharp elbow.  “Battle injury, so show some respect,” he hissed. 

“Right…Sorry….” 

“Zeno…,” Rtas said when he spotted them.  “Thank the gods, you are alive.  Miko…?” 

Zeno turned his head away as he replied.  “He has fallen….”  Somehow, telling Rtas that Miko was dead made it final for him, finally made it sink in completely that he was gone forever.  All at once, he started to shake, his emotional barriers and the discipline he had to keep them up failing one by one.  “Gone….” 

Rtas must have recognized the approaching break down, for Zeno suddenly felt him grab his arm and pulled him into the Phantom.  Then, just as his last mental barrier broke down, he felt a painful sting on his face.  Suddenly shocked out of his stupor, he looked up at his commander, wide eyed, with one hand on his face where Rtas slapped him. 

“Are you not Zeno ‘Ribalee?”  Rtas started.  “The Sangheili whom his Kaidon was so proud of?  Are you not the Sangheili that rose above whatever challenge that was thrown at him, from abandonment to torture?  From ridicule to shame?  Are you not a warrior, a member of the SpecOps?”  Zeno nodded numbly.  “You are on the verge of not acting like that now.  On the verge of acting a child that had lost his favorite toy.” 

Zeno shuddered, a part of him recognizing that Rtas was basically giving him the same speech he had given him when Anko died. 

“Is this how you intend to honor Miko’s memory?”  Rtas said forcefully.  “By shaming yourself by acting like this out in public?  Did you not remind me yourself that it is best to save your grief for when you are in a private place?  Are you not being a hypocrite right now?” 

“Yes…Commander….”  Zeno said, hanging his head.  “Thank you…For reminding me.” 

Rtas put a hand on his shoulder.  “The loss of Miko is a terrible one, but one that must be grieved for later.  You have no doubt discovered this on your own, but the Brutes have declared war on our people and murdered the High Council.  As we speak, the Arbiter, whom still lives, is heading for the control room to punish the Chieftain of the Brutes for their actions…And our brothers fight against the mongrels upon this Holy Ring and in the sky and the space around _High Charity_ itself.” 

“ _High Charity…_ Commander…I must get there,” Zeno said, suddenly reminded of his sister. 

“What for?” 

“My sister…She is on the holy city.  She would be helpless against the Brutes and their savage ways. I need to save her….” 

Rtas eyes filled with regret and Zeno got a dreadful feeling.  “Zeno…Unless she managed to leave the city before the fighting grew severe, I doubt she still lives.” 

“She is alive…,” Zeno said confidently.  “I know she is.” 

“You cannot possibly know….” 

“We are twins, commander, sometimes…We just do know.” 

Rtas was shaking his head.  “Even if she is still alive, we currently do not have the means to get there.  This phantom….”  He gestured around him.  “Would be shot down in all that cross fire around _High Charity._ And even if we could get here safely, it would not be advised:  the latest reports….”  Rtas visibly swallowed.  “The latest word I have received is that the Flood has started to infest the city.” 

Zeno’s mandibles dropped open as his hearts sank.  He only just managed to keep Miko from being consumed by the Flood and now…And now….  “No…No…Commander we need to get there! No one deserves that fate! Not Lila…Not anyone!” 

“I agree, Zeno…But even if we took over this cruiser I am planning on having us reclaim, it would be too late.  The parasite spreads quickly and probably has half the city infested by now.” 

It was too much.  Zeno fell to his knees, shaking with tears in his eyes.  He felt an emptiness inside, an aching hollow from the knowledge that there was nothing that could be done.  “Zeno….”  He looked up as Rtas knelt in front of him, replacing his hand on his shoulder.  “I need you to keep it together: I need every warrior I can get right now.” 

“What is the point?”  Zeno said bitterly.  “If I lose Lila, I have nothing.  She is the only one that can continue my bloodline…And honor would only satisfy me for so long….” 

Rtas sighed deeply, looking deep in thought.  “You are certain she still lives due to this ‘twin’ thing correct?” Zeno nodded.  “Where was she staying within the city?” 

“She is a member of the _Gi’vea_ , commander.  She would be with them in the spiritual district.” 

“Blood, the very heart of the city…,”  Rtas swore softly.  “And I do not know where the parasite started their infection.” 

“The _Gi’vea_ are highly revered, commander:  they are considered the aristocrats of the female half of our species.  There is a chance…That any warriors in the area would have flocked to attempt to defend them from both Brute and parasite.” 

“But unless they were able to evacuate them to a ship and left the city…Their stand would not last long against both the Brutes and the parasite.  And if they made it to their ship…It is a civilian ship is it not?”

 “Most likely, but I am not certain.” 

“If it is…It would be defenseless in that battle up there. Unless….” 

“Unless what, commander?” 

“Unless they docked within one of the larger Sangheili ships.  But we will not know for certain until we get a ship of our own.” 

Zeno lowered his head.  “You said you were planning on taking back a cruiser?” 

“That is correct.  If we succeed, we will have more stable access to the battlenet and be able to search for information on whether any of the _Gi’vea_ made it out of the city.” 

“Then what are we waiting around here for?  We have a cruiser to take back do we not?” 

What Rtas told him gave him only the tiniest bit of hope due to the odds stacked against Lila’s survival, but he would take it.  After all, keeping his promise to Miko that he would live would be rather hollow if he did not have anything to live _for_. 

\--- 

Twenty four Sangheili showed up for the operation.  Of those, one needed to co-pilot the phantom and ensure their Unggoy pilot didn’t warn the Brutes of their approach.  Three other’s needed to stay in the phantom to man the guns to give the assault teams cover fire.  Of the twenty Sangheili remaining, they agreed to split up into three squads.  A squad of eight would go to engineering and the other two, each a squad of six would head for the bridge via different routes.  Zeno was on one of the bridge assault teams, along with Ne’zu and Rtas.  The zealot was on the other bridge assault team, which Henun was assigned to.  The engineering assault team was being lead by a major named Usze ‘Tahamee:  Bateli was assigned to this team, along with a young SpecOps rookie named N’tho ‘Sraomee. 

As the phantom made its way to the target cruiser, Zeno kept thinking about Miko and the Brutes. He knew Miko would have relished the opportunity to slaughter some Brutes if he still lived.  Zeno himself was still trying to figure out where he stood now on the Brutes.  There was little doubt in his mind that the years of oppression was helping to fuel the Brutes attacks on his people, but was there another reason?  He thought back to the rumors he heard about his people no longer being in favor with the prophets, how they were replacing them with Brutes in long held positions.  What did it all mean? 

“My brothers,” Rtas suddenly spoke up, rising to his feet.  “Since the foundation of the Covenant, we have served faithfully at the Prophet’s side, protected and gave our lives for them.  Now…Now they have turned their backs on us, replacing us with the less than trustworthy Brutes.  And the first thing those heathens have done is the murder our High Council in cold blood.”  There was not one Sangheili in the room that didn’t hiss with shock and anger, Zeno among them.  “And now, they are trying to do the same to the rest of us, but we will not go down without a fight!”  There were roars of agreement.  “Not only will be punish the Brutes for their crimes, but we will take back what is rightfully ours!  Starting with our target, the _Faithful Guardian_!” 

There was a chorus of agreement, followed by a tense, eager silence.  Looking around, Zeno saw the bloodlust in his brother’s eyes: they were all eager to spill Brute blood.  Zeno himself felt eager, if only to avenge the lives wrongfully taken.  Why the Brutes started this genocide in the first place still eluded him.  W _hat if they did this because they were ‘ordered’ to?_   Zeno thought, shuddering slightly at the implications.  If that was true, that meant the Prophets didn’t just turn their backs on them, but _abandoned_ them.  He shook his head, shaking those dreadful thoughts out of his head.  Now was not the time to be thinking of such things.  

Zeno jumped when something touched his arm.  Turning his head, he saw the source, Henun, looking at him with a sympathetic and worried expression. “Are you alright, Zeno?” he asked. 

“I…I do not know,” Zeno replied honestly.  “So much has happened in such little time; my mind is rather…Overwhelmed.” 

“Understandable, all things considered,” Henun said softly. 

“You are not the only one that wonders at what this will all mean for us,” Bateli spoke up in front of him.  “Focus your mind on the mission at hand, Zeno, lest it distract you at the wrong moment.  When the battle is won, only then we should discuss the future.” 

Zeno looked at Henun, whom was nodding in agreement.  He nodded himself, accepting their judgment.  Whatever happened next, he still had his friends, and he would fight to protect and honor them. 

He would not let them down.


	5. The Faithful Guardian

The final approach to the cruiser was tense, it being unknown if the Brute commander on the _Faithful Guardian_ would accept the Unggoy’s claims of coming in to resupply.  If the cruiser decided to turn its weapons upon them, they would be shot down and the mission would be a failure.  Though he held the Unggoy with a bit more respect than many of his people, Zeno still did not like the idea of the mission’s initial success or failure resting on one’s hands. 

It ended up being a needless worry; the phantom was cleared to land on the _Faithful Guardian_.  So far, the Brutes did not suspect a thing.  The most harrowing part though, would be when it came time to leave the Phantom:  if the Brutes got their wits about them too quickly, many Sangheili could fall before they got far from the Phantom, if they made it off the Phantom to start with. 

“Activate cloaking.” Rtas commanded, apparently having the same thoughts.  Zeno heard the zealot among them snarl faintly in annoyance as they all faded from view: typical zealot, caring more about starting the battle than strategy. 

The moment the Phantom touched down, Rtas gave the order to disembark and attack.  The rear hatch opened and they all ran out, as quietly as they could.  Chaos ensued when a Brute apparently noticed the faint shimmer of active camouflage, but more likely smelled them, and shouted an alarm.  As Zeno activated his kisans and started slicing through the opposition, he heard the first of his kin fall.  He didn’t have time to look to see who it was, not with the Brutes reinforcements already pouring into the hanger bay. 

Fortunately, at that moment the Phantom rose up and started laying in cover fire with its plasma turrets, cutting down the Brutes that were not quick enough to take cover.  Blood was spilled, limbs flew, screams of pain and death echoed in his ears.  Zeno had never been in a battle so intense and chaotic before and it was slightly distracting.  A distraction that nearly cost him. 

As the battle to secure the hanger bay started to wane, a handful of Brutes went berserk.  Roaring and throwing caution and self-care to the wing, they charged at the Sangheili. Most were cut down quickly, but one was being especially stubborn to die and charged right for Zeno.  Zeno was just turning around when he saw the Brute, nearly upon him.  Then something shoved Zeno out of the way, sending him staggering off to one side.  Once he had regained his balance, he could identify who saved him. 

It was Henun. He took the blow that was meant for Zeno, but now he was in trouble.  The Brute had him by the right arm and was in the process of slamming him to the floor.  Henun hit the ground with a loud thud, accompanied by a sickening crack. 

“Henun!” Zeno cried, rushing the short distance to reach them.  The Brute was about to stomp on his head, an action Zeno stopped by ramming into it with all of his body weight.  Thrown off balance, the Brute became easy prey to his blades. 

“Guess…I was the one that needed saving,” Henun said, his face contorted in pain. 

“Why, by the Rings, did you do that, Henun?”  Zeno asked him as he started assessing his injuries. 

“I did not want to lose you too, Zeno.”  Before Zeno could ask what he meant, he added. “Bateli fell…At the start of the fight.” 

Zeno’s hearts felt sick.  Though he did not know Bateli as well as he did Henun, he still considered him a friend.  Now he was gone too, joining Miko on his list of those he cared about that he had lost.  “Blood…,” Zeno swore. 

By now, the fighting had lessened to a standstill and Rtas was taking measure of their situation.  “Henun, what is your status?”  The commander asked, approaching them. 

“My shoulder is messed up,” Henun replied, rising to his feet.  “But give me some pain killers and I can still fight.” 

“No, not like that you are not,” Zeno protested.  “That is your dominate arm….” 

“I can still hold a gun in my left,” Henun countered stubbornly. 

“No, Zeno is correct: a useless limb will slow you down where speed is of the essence.  You are out of this fight, Henun,” Rtas said. 

Henun cut loose a few swear words. “So I am just to sit in the back of the phantom and moan?” 

“I think you can do more than that,” Zeno said.  “Do you think you can operate one of the Phantom’s turrets?” 

Henun blinked a few times as he considered.  “I believe so, though it will be a bit awkward at first.” 

“Good, go relieve one of the gunners, but make sure to have them stabilize that arm first before taking your place.” 

“Right…I will do that.” 

After Henun had retreated into the Phantom via the grav lift, Rtas gave him a look.  “Did I promote you to sub-commander without knowing?” he asked. 

“I…uh…,” Zeno flushed, realizing quickly that he had essentially given an order without having the official authority to do so. 

Rtas patted him on the shoulder, a faint smirk on his face.  “It was a good call to make, one I was about to suggest myself.” 

“Thank you…Commander.” 

“Come, we have lingered too long here.  We need to continue this operation.” 

\--- 

Everyone assembled into their assigned squads and commenced the main part of the operation.  Fighting in the corridors Zeno found to be nerve wrecking:  not only could he not rely on his kisans as he would have preferred, but with all the side rooms and passages it was hard at times to keep track of where enemy forces may come from.  Fortunately, with the zealot’s squad also heading for the bridge, the Brute forces were split between defending two sides: perhaps there was even a bit of confusion, which worked to the Sangheili’s advantage. 

Still, the fighting started to get more intense, desperate even, as his squad drew closer to the bridge.  By then, they had lost two of their squad, leaving only Rtas, Ne’zu, Zeno and one minor left.  “The bridge is just ahead,” Rtas said as they loped down a corridor.  “Once we take control, we can lock down all the passage ways and kill the remaining Brutes at our leisure.” 

“Sounds like a rather boring way to cleanse a ship,” Ne’zu muttered, earning him a glare from Rtas. 

“Boring perhaps, but safer.  Too much Sangheilian blood has been spilled today already.”  Zeno pointed out. 

“Indeed,” Rtas agreed.  “Let us finish this.” 

As they made the final approach, something large jumped out of a side passage just in front of them.  The next thing Zeno knew was that he was flying backwards, landing on his rear about ten feet away from where he was before.  He recognized their ambusher as a Brute Chieftain and it was wielding a gravity hammer.  Quick glances at the rest of the squad told him it didn’t look good:  Rtas was prone to one side, looking dazed and sluggish.  The minor’s armor was sparking from physical damage from the strike, but he was on his feet trying to help Ne’zu fight the Chieftain. 

Zeno couldn’t use his rifle without possibly hitting his comrades, so he put it away and brought out his Kisans.  As he ran to join the battle, the Chieftain swung his hammer, the blade side hitting the minor in the neck:  his blood sprayed as the blade nearly cut his neck in two.  The Chieftain then reversed his swing, the minor’s limp body stuck on the blade.  Zeno could only watch helplessly as Ne’zu tried to leap out of the way, only for the hammer to catch him on the head. 

 _No!_ Zeno thought as Ne’zu’s form spun around and hit the cold floor.  At that instant, he no longer the hallways of a ship, but the grassy plateau he had been assigned to watch not long ago.  He no longer saw Ne’zu, but Miko, mortally wounded and bleeding to death.  Instead of a Chieftain, he saw the Brute that killed Miko.  

With a roar of rage, Zeno leapt at the Brute.  Funny, the sword was a lot bigger than he thought it was beforehand, and there was a bit more resistance when he cut it in two.  A blow to his chest snapped him back to reality, sending him tumbling across the floor, his shield alarm screaming.  The Chieftain looked very pissed that he had ruined his hammer and was charging at him. 

Zeno rolled to his feet quickly, braced himself and thrust his blades forward just as the Chieftain reached him.  The strength of his strike, combined with the Chieftain’s momentum, resulted in the Chieftain’s impalement in both shoulders.  The bastard was still alive though and with his swords buried in the Brute, Zeno could do nothing but hang on as the Chieftain grabbed him and lifted him off his feet. 

Just then the Chieftain gurgled and slumped, his grip loosening and Zeno dropped to the floor.  Instinctively, Zeno rolled away and brought out his rifle, in case the Brute still had some fight in him.  It turned out it was not needed, for the Brute fell to the floor dead, Rtas’ own sword buried in its back. 

“Zeno, are you alright?”  Rtas said, retrieving his sword. 

“A bit shaken, but otherwise I am fine, commander.”  Zeno replied as he kicked the Brute over so he could retrieve his own swords.  “I do not know Ne’zu’s status however. He took a blow to the head.” 

Zeno watched as Rtas walked over to Ne’zu and checked his vitals.  “By some miracle of the gods, he still lives,” the commander said. 

“He will likely have one heck of a headache when he wakes up.”  Zeno muttered, Rtas nodding in agreement.  “Commander, that Brute was likely the ship commander….” 

“Agreed and I just got confirmation from the other squad that they have arrived at the bridge themselves.” 

“Commander, I will stay here and cover your rear…And Ne’zu’s.” 

“As you wish,” Rtas said.  Zeno watched as Rtas faded away into active camo and the door to the bridge opened.  He briefly heard the sounds of a firefight already in progress before the door closed again.  The fight did not take long at all, for within moments Rtas reemerged from the bridge, visible this time.  “The bridge is ours.” 

Zeno nodded.  “Do we know how the engineering strike team is doing, commander?” he asked. 

“It has been secured.  As we speak, Field Master Boro is putting the ship under lock down and contacting fellow Sangheili.  Soon, we will have assistance in clearing the rest of the ship of the Brute vermin.” 

“Indeed….” Zeno suddenly felt the need to ask the questions that were burning in his mind.  “Commander, why did it all come to this?  What have we done to deserve this betrayal?” 

“I do not know, Zeno,” Rtas said with a heavy sigh.  “I suspect the Arbiter may have more insight, provided he survives his encounter with Tartarus.” 

“You do not seem to have much faith in his abilities, commander.” 

“I do not know what I have faith in these days…,”  Rtas said solemnly. 

Zeno was inclined to agree. 

\-- 

Additional forces arrived within the hour and the long process of clearing the rest of the ship began.  This time they were more selective in who they killed outright:  Unggoy that immediately surrendered to them and of course the Huragok were spared.  They also found a number of Sangheili in the brig, likely put there as ‘future meals’ for the Brutes:  once released they were quite eager to regain the honor they lost due to their imprisonment.  By the time they had received word from the Arbiter that he had succeeded, the ship was completely under the control of the Sangheili. 

The Arbiter would soon arrive and join them on the ship, along with some allies.  Who these ‘allies’ were Zeno did not know, for Rtas would not elaborate:  Zeno simply assumed they were member races that were still ‘friendly’ to the Sangheili.  As much as he wanted to see the Arbiter and hear what insight he had on what was going on, he realized he was in serious need of sleep.  He had been awake since yesterday morning, at least he thought he had been: with everything that had gone on, he was losing track of time.  Regardless, he asked the commander if he could turn in for some much needed rest.  Rtas agreed and told him where his room was. 

The room reeked of Brute, but that was to be expected.  Still, he had a hard time falling asleep, both due to the foreign stench of the previous occupant and the worries that plagued his mind.  He didn’t know how long he just laid there, trying to get his mind to allow him to relax enough to fall asleep, when the comm console in his room chimed.  Hoping it wasn’t his commander requesting his return to duty, for he doubted he would be of much use in his exhausted state.  “Zeno here,” he said groggily. 

 _-Zeno,-_ the voice of his commander said. _–I have someone that wants to speak to you.-_  

“Who would that be?”  Zeno asked, his tired mind unable to think of anyone. 

He could almost hear the smile on Rtas face.  _–Someone I am sure you will be very happy to hear from, I am patching her through.-_  

 _Her?_   Zeno barely caught the reference and only began to realize whom he had to be talking about when he heard her voice next. 

 _-Zeno?-_  

“Lila!”  Zeno’s hearts leapt for joy at the sound of his sister’s voice.  “Thank the gods, you are alive!” 

 _-And thank goodness you are alright yourself, brother.-_ Lila sounded very weary herself. _-This day has been hell….-_  

“I know…I feared I had lost you when the fighting started, even more so when I heard the parasite had started to spread on _High Charity_.  How…How did you escape?” 

There was a long pause before Lila sighed and started to explain.  _–We were scheduled to perform two more times before leaving, but the headmistress got a bad feeling and had us start packing up early.  We still had a lot of clients around when the Brutes started their assault, and they told us to run while they held off the attack.  A few ran with us to protect us as we fled.  Oh gods it was chaos, Zeno.  There was fighting everywhere and as we got closer to our ship, these horrible twisted versions of both our people and the Brutes started showing up.-_  

“The Flood….”  Zeno breathed, his hearts hammering. 

 _-A couple of the girls were caught by those things: their screams still haunt my mind.  Most of us were able to make it our ship, thanks to those that gave their lives for us.  One poor soul was cut down just as the last of us got on board…A SpecOps. I think he was the same one that spoke to you after the show….-_  

“Justal….Is he?” 

 _-He lives, but he is in bad shape.-_   Lila chuckled briefly.  _–The other girls are spoiling him rotten.-_  

“And he is soaking it all up I bet, the bastard.” 

 _-Unfortunately, our ship was damaged as we left the port.  We had to dock in a cruiser for repairs. It has been…Nerve wracking…With all the fighting going on outside, not knowing if the cruiser we have taken refuge within is going to blow up on us or not….-_ There was brief sigh. _–I heard recently though that the repairs were nearly complete and we will be jumping to slipspace almost the moment we leave the cruiser.  Thank the gods…I never thought I would be so eager to go back home….-_  

“If home is even safe: who knows how far the Brutes are taking their attempted genocide of our people.” 

 _-I hope our homeworld is safe.  We do intend to warn the home fleet when we arrive, if they do not already know.  But enough about me…How are you faring brother?  How is Miko?-_  

The question was like a stab in his heart.  “Miko…Is gone….”  He said, barely able to choke out the words. 

 _-Oh Zeno…I am so sorry…He seemed like such a nice man….-_  

“He was….” 

 _-I wish I was there with you right now, to help ease the pain of your loss.-_  

“It…It cannot be helped, Lila….” 

 _-Brother, I hate to leave you now on such a sad note, but I must.  Please, be strong.  I am certain he would not want you to live the rest of your life in despair.  Be safe, brother, Walk the Path.-_  

“Be safe yourself, sister.  Farewell.” 

The connection went dead and Zeno returned to the bunk with a heavy sigh.  He had one less thing to worry about, but the reminder of the holes in his heart that Miko’s death created weighed heavily.  Tears anew in his eyes, he lay down again, wondering if he would ever get any rest. 

As it would turn out, the combination of grief and exhaustion eventually pulled him into a heavy, dreamless sleep….


	6. Conflicting Opinions

Zeno was awakened by someone shaking him.  With a loud moan, he blinked his eyes open and looked up to see the half-jawed visage of Rtas leaning over him.  “Commander?”  he said groggily. 

“Come, you are needed on the bridge,” Rtas told him simply. 

“What for?”  Zeno asked as he pulled himself out of bed, delaying only long enough to stretch his limbs a bit. 

Rtas didn’t say anything at first, instead patiently waiting for him to get himself together.  Once they had exited the room, he finally responded to the question.  “We are assigning you to a special mission,” Rtas explained. “Though I wish you were not the only one available to do it….” 

Zeno grunted in acknowledgment, though he wasn’t entire sure what he was referring too with that statement.  Was it because of his state of mourning over Miko?  That he was the only Recon member that was combat ready?  He had heard Henun’s arm was worse than they thought and may need to be amputated…. 

“What is the mission?” he asked, cutting to the chase. 

“You are going to be working with our new allies,” Rtas said.  “And assist them in repelling the Covenant from their homeworld.” 

This confused Zeno.  “The Covenant?  Are we not….” 

“Not any longer,” Rtas said grimly.  “The Arbiter…Has revealed much while you slept.” 

“Such as?”  Zeno wasn’t sure he wanted to know.  All that had happened so far was so overwhelming as it was. 

“The Brutes did not attack us on a whim, Zeno.  They were ordered to slaughter us by the Prophets themselves.” 

Zeno gulped:  he had been afraid that was the case, from the rumors he had heard.  “So…We have been basically kicked out of the Covenant.” 

“Indeed…And it gets worse.”  He didn’t know how it could get any worse, but he nodded for Rtas to continue.  “The Halos…They are not the means to start the Great Journey, but weapons of mass destruction intended to wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy to starve the Flood.” 

Zeno felt his hearts skip a beat.  “But if the Rings are not the means to start the Great Journey….” 

“The Great Journey a lie.” 

His hearts skipped a beat before, but now they felt like they had stopped completely.  “Wha…What?  H-how can that be?” 

“The Arbiter found an Oracle and it explained the truth,”  Rtas said solemnly.  “The Prophets have been lying to us, all these eons.  Not only have they lied about the Great Journey and the Halos purpose, but about one other thing as well….” 

They entered the bridge then and Zeno did not see them right away but smell them: humans.  He stopped at the threshold and looked around the room until he spotted them.  There were two of them standing beside the Arbiter:  a dark skinned male whom had some kind of smoking object in his mouth and a dark haired, pale female.  “Commander! There are humans here!” He growled, reaching for his weapon, only for his arm to be halted by Rtas. 

“Yes, they are our allies now.”  Rtas said calmly. 

Zeno couldn’t believe what he just heard:  it was bad enough the prophets ordered the Brutes to kill them.  Bad enough to find out that the Great Journey was a lie and what became of Miko’s soul, and souls of so many others, was now in question.  But to hear that they had allied with the humans…The heathens that defiled holy relics and even destroyed them, that was too much! 

“What?  Are you crazy!?” He cried. 

“The prophets lied about the humans, Zeno.  Lied to protect the falsehoods they had been telling us all these years.  Have you ever wondered why humans can use certain Forerunner control panels while we cannot?” 

“To put it simply…My makers encoded a number of important functions to only be accessible by a reclaimer.”  A new, slightly mechanical voice said cheerfully.  Zeno focused his vision on the source:  a floating metal sphere that glowed with blue light, an Oracle.  “Only those with the correct DNA code are considered reclaimers.  All others are…Denied access.” 

It couldn’t be.  The humans, the creatures that tortured him on _Truy V_ , defiled and destroyed the holy relics…The true inheritors of the Forerunner legacy?  It was madness!  Insanity!  “How…How can creatures such as _them_ ,” he pointed at the humans.  “Be worthy of the gifts the Forerunners left us!?  With everything they had done?  How?  I refuse to believe it!” 

“You _must_ if you are to work with them,” Rtas growled. 

“ _What!?_ ”  Zeno screeched.  He looked at the humans, then back at Rtas, whom nodded.  “No, I refuse!  I will not work with the creatures that tortured me!” 

“The ones that tortured you are dead, Zeno!”  Rtas snapped.  “Killed when we blasted their base to molten slag.  _These_ humans have not harmed you!” 

“The only good human is a dead one as far as I am concerned.” 

“/Tall dark and ugly here seems to have serious issues….\” One of the humans, the dark skinned one, muttered. 

“/Johnson!\”  The other human scolded. 

“Issues!?”  Zeno growled once his translation software did its work.  “I will give you _issues!_ ”  With a roar he charged. 

“Zeno, no!”  Rtas cried, but Zeno was beyond obeying his commander.  His sole focus was on ripping that human’s head off his neck…. 

Suddenly, a blur of gray and burnished silver slammed into his chest.  Zeno was knocked to the floor, coughing due to the wind being knocked out of him.  Before he could come to his senses, a large boot planted itself onto of his chest and the prongs of an energy sword were now at his neck. 

“Have the years dimmed your memory?”  The voice of the Arbiter growled.  “Have you so easily forgotten the warning I gave you?” 

Zeno’s eyes widened when he realized his error. Not only had he had forgotten about the Arbiter, but the identity of said Arbiter. 

 _“These acts of vigilantism have been directed at those that deserved it.  But know this…Should you ever lose control and commit such an act against someone that did not deserve it, I will not hesitate to bring you down.”_ Those had been words of his former Supreme Commander, roughly eight years ago.  A Supreme Commander, that he now realized was the Arbiter…. 

For a couple of moments, Zeno’s eyes were wide with fear.  Though a part of him desired to join Miko in death, he knew Miko would be disappointed if he failed to keep himself alive.  Besides, what would become of him if he died now, if there really wasn’t a Great Journey?  So much has happened, so much he just discovered, that his mind was still trying to sort it all out.  And now they were trying to get him to work with the creatures he despised the most. 

A lot might have happened, but he knew one thing for certain that hadn’t changed:  he hated humans.  The Prophets may have lied about reasons for attempting to wipe out the human species, but that didn’t change Zeno’s personal experience with the humans.  An experience the Arbiter was obviously ignorant to, or simply did not care about right now.  

“No, I have not forgotten, Arbiter,” Zeno snarled.  “But you seem to have forgotten yourself the conditions of your warning:  that you would cut me down if I harmed someone that did _not_ deserve it!” 

“The humans did not deserve what we did to them,” the Arbiter said calmly. 

“They destroyed holy relics and personally tormented me.” 

“A situation you volunteered for.” 

“I did not know they were going to strip me down, tie me to a table and start examining me like a test subject!” 

The Arbiter looked surprised at the revelation: he even removed his foot from his chest and sword from his throat.  Zeno wasted no time in getting back to his feet.  He watched as the Arbiter looked at Rtas, whom nodded, then he looked back at him.  “You lived with this shame all this time?” The Arbiter asked. 

“I have.  Now do you understand why I refuse to work with them?”  Zeno growled.  “Find someone else.” 

“There is no one else.” 

“Blood, I do not believe that.  If you are so desperate to have someone work with them, go yourself!” 

“I am already going, with two others,” the Arbiter said.  “But my mission is different from yours.” 

“And what would be so different about my mission?” 

“You will be working with the human’s intelligence agency directly, Zeno.”  Rtas explained.  “Sent out on reconnaissance missions with a squad of their own recon units and report back directly to their command.” 

“No!”  Zeno cried.  “The only one I will ever report to is you, commander.  I will not follow a human’s orders!  I would rather die!” 

“That can be arranged, Zeno ‘Ribal.”  The Arbiter growled, Zeno catching immediately that he left out the suffix on his name. 

“Again, you threaten my life, Arbiter,” Zeno hissed.  “Has your mind been so muddled by your Marking and the betrayal of the Prophets, that you no longer recognize when a fellow Sangheili has a valid argument?  Or did they remove your brain instead of Marking you?” 

What happened next happened so quickly that Zeno didn’t see the blow coming and only registered that he was struck when he hit the wall behind him.  He literally ‘bounced’ off the wall and then landed face first onto the floor, coughing and trying to catch his breath.  “Arbiter!” Zeno heard Rtas cry in alarm. 

“I will not tolerate this insolence any longer.”  The Arbiter’s voice growled, Zeno then feeling a strong hand grab him by the neck.  He was dragged out of the room, Zeno barely getting his feet under him so he could walk semi-normally. 

What was the Arbiter going to do with him?  Toss him out of an airlock?  Throw him in the brig?  Impale him on his sword?  None of those options he actually wanted, despite his claim he would rather die than to work with a human. 

The walk of humiliation did not last long thankfully, ending when they entered a training room.  There, the Arbiter shoved him into the sparring ring.  “Come, Ribal.”  The Arbiter challenged.  “Let us see if your fists are as fast as your mouth.” When Zeno hesitated, he added.  “Or are you going to prove to be as much of a coward as you are an idiot?” 

That hit a nerve: he was neither a coward or an idiot and he was going to prove it!  Zeno growled loudly and went into a fighting stance.  As they circled each other, Zeno gauged his chances:  he had youth on his side, but the Arbiter had experience.  On the other hand, the Arbiter may still be physically suffering from the torture he went through from his Marking, not to mention any injuries he sustained while fighting Tartarus.  So maybe…Maybe he could win this fight and prove himself right…. 

 ** _A half hour later…._**  

The breath was knocked out of him as his back hit the wall.  He pitched forward, landing on his hands and knees, gasping for breath.  His body hurt all over, one mandible joint was dislocated and the blasted Arbiter was standing in front of him, arms folded across his chest, glaring down at him.  What had gone wrong?  Zeno was certain he was a match for the Arbiter, yet he was getting his ass handed to him ten times over. 

“Do you yield?”  The Arbiter asked. 

“N-no…,” Zeno growled, struggling to his feet.  He was aware of how much his body was shaking, from both pain and exhaustion.  But he refused to give up, not to someone who so willingly allied with heathens. 

“You are stubborn, Zeno. An admirable trait, but only in certain situations,” the Arbiter said calmly as Zeno came at him again.  Zeno’s condition left him unable to block the blow to the gut that came next, or to prevent the shoulder toss that came after.  The wind knocked out of him yet again when his back hit the floor, Zeno coughed painfully.  

“But in this case, it will be your undoing.”  The Arbiter continued.  “You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment, as it has in the past.” 

“What…Do my emotions have to…Do with this?”  Zeno coughed as he slowly righted himself, but had yet to regain the strength needed to get to his feet. 

“A true warrior does not let his emotions do the fighting for him.  Those that fight using their emotions will be defeated by those with a calm, sound mind, such as it is now.  I know you are intelligent, Zeno, as most of our people are, but you are not using that intellect right now.” 

“Get to the point, Arbiter…Or are you going to talk me to death as much as you are beating me to death?”  _Maybe if I can get his legs…_ he thought, reading his body for a lunge. 

The Arbiter snorted. “You hate the humans, for reasons more justifiable than most.  You suffered directly under them….”  He neatly jumped over him when Zeno sprang for his legs.  “And yet, you fail to consider _why_ the humans did what they did to you.” 

“I do not care about the _why_ ,” Zeno snarled, pounding his fist on the floor in frustration. 

“How narrow minded.” 

Zeno once more struggled to his feet, but found himself now too tired to do much more.  “Then _enlighten_ me, oh wise Arbiter…,”  he said, hoping to catch his breath for a moment. 

“Your sarcasm is unneeded, but very well.”  The Arbiter’s arms were once again folded across his chest.  “Why do you think the humans fight so hard?” 

“Because they do not want to be wiped out like they ought to be,” Zeno said with a snort. 

“Precisely and any being would do so to protect its existence.  We are no different, as proven when the Brutes attempted their genocide of our people.” 

“And now you are comparing us with them….” 

“Indeed. In both cases, it was under orders from the Prophets.  The difference however, is that the true reason for it in the human’s case is now known.  The Prophets willed it to be so because they saw the human’s as a threat to their power, unlike the other species we have encountered and invited into the fold of the Covenant.” 

“But that still does not excuse the humans for what they _have_ done.” 

“We are no less guilty when it came to ‘destroying’ holy relics,” the Arbiter pointed out.  “Before the formation of the Covenant, when we were at war with the Prophets, we destroyed holy relics ourselves in the pursuit of using the technology learned to aid us in the battle against our own beliefs at the time.  It was out of desperation to save ourselves.” 

“But the humans were likely doing this before we even encountered them: I fail to see your point.” 

“My point, is that if the Prophets did not lie about the humans and everything else, the humans would not have been driven to capture and start studying you.  The humiliation and shame you suffered would never have occurred.” 

Zeno’s breath hitched in his throat as his eyes widened in surprise.  After a moment he shook his head.  “Perhaps…But it still happened!” 

“Because of the Prophet’s will,” the Arbiter countered.  “Your anger, though justified, is misplaced.  It is the Prophet’s lies that drove the humans to desperation and thus causing your shame.  It is the Prophets that deserve your anger and rage.” 

Zeno staggered back, his back now against the wall and his breaths heavy.  The Arbiter’s words rang in his head, over and over again.  Joining them was Miko’s arguments for the human’s inclusion into the Covenant.  And Miko was not the only dead spirit to haunt his mind now…. 

 _Bullying and abuse is wrong, no matter who it is done to._   The voice of Kou reminded him.  Did Kou agree with decree that all humans had to die?  Or did he secretly harbor questions like Miko did about the reasons for the automatic death sentence?  It was a question that would never be answered by Kou himself, but did Zeno already know that answer? 

Zeno thought back about the Brutes, how he disagreed with how his people were treating them, remembering he used Kou’s words in their defense.  Was he being a hypocrite for not doing the same for the humans? Were they not being bullies toward them?  And all because of a lie?

  _By the Gods…._   Zeno sank to his knees as the realization hit him hard.  Kou was right.  Miko was right.  The Arbiter was right.  He was wrong…And the shame he felt was greater than anything he had ever felt before. 

“Do you yield?”  The Arbiter asked, his voice a lot softer than before. 

Zeno looked up at him, his eyes rimmed with tears that took all his will to keep from falling. 

“I yield….” 

“Excellent.  Let us return to the bridge.” 

“Arbiter…I have shamed myself and gone against your orders…Do I not deserve death?” 

The Arbiter looked down at him calmly.  “In normal situations, yes: I would have put you to the blade myself for your insolence.  However, this is far from a _normal_ circumstance.  Our people are being massacred by the Brutes and to shed the blood of a fellow Sangheili ourselves would only aid in their goal of wiping us out.  So no, Zeno, I will not take your life and I ask you not to take it yourself:  we need every Sangheili warrior we can get in this trying time.” 

“I do not know how I can continue on with both my grief and this shame weighing so heavily on my hearts….” 

“Surely you have something to live for?” 

Zeno lowered his head and thought a moment.  He remembered Lila and her promise to him:  would she survive long enough to fulfill it in his chaotic time?  Then he remembered Miko’s dying words.  “I…I do….”  He responded softly. 

“Then hold onto that, until this war is done.” 

“I do not know if it will be enough, Arbiter.” 

“It must, for now.  Come, they are waiting for us.” 

“I do not know if you have anyone you love at home, Arbiter…,” Zeno said softly as he rose to his feet and started to follow him.  “But I pray nothing happens…Or has happened to them.  The grief, tears a great hole in your soul….” 

Zeno barely caught the glance the Arbiter gave him.  The look in the Arbiter’s eyes was a mix of anger, worry and perhaps grief?  Then he remembered that the Arbiter had lost so much already due to his Marking:  unless his keep opted to wait to see if he had regained his honor as the Arbiter, his bloodline was likely already slain as per their custom.  “Forgive me Arbiter…I….”  But the Arbiter was already shaking his head. 

“I understand.”  Was all the Arbiter said.


	7. Turning Point

The rest of the walk back to the bridge was in silence.  Zeno was feeling the ache in his body and the pain of the dislocated mandible:  he had tried to pop it back into place a couple of times but was unable.  It meant a trip to the infirmary for him, once he was allowed to do so. 

Upon entering the bridge, all attention was on them.  Rtas looked concerned, while the humans looked a mixture of bored and curious.  The Oracle…He couldn’t read at all.  “/What ya do to him Arbiter?\” The dark skin human asked, Johnson, Zeno remembered he was called.  “/Beat the shit out of him?\” 

“We came to an understanding,” the Arbiter said simply. 

“I hope it was understanding that is beneficial to the mission,” Rtas said, giving Zeno a look. 

“I…,”  Zeno said softly, finding it hard to form the words at first.  “I was shown the error of my line of thinking.  I will work with the humans…But….” 

“But?”  The Arbiter gave him a warning look. 

“Though I now understand their reasoning for what they did to me and why they were forced to consider such actions, I will have difficulty in trusting them fully.” 

“/And you think we trust you guys fully?\” Johnson said.  “/After killing billions of our people?  Trust me, I think it is safe to say that humanity would not want anything to do with you people after what you did, but right now, we have no choice but to tolerate each other for the greater good.\” 

The human had a point:  for decades, the Sangheili had been slaughtering humans at every opportunity.  They had much to atone for.  “So…What now?”  Zeno asked. 

“Truth has taken the Forerunner dreadnaught from _High Charity_ and is already heading for Earth,”  Rtas said.  “This ship will be entering slipspace shortly, heading for the planet as well.  The trip will take an estimated two weeks.  Once you arrive, you will be transported to a human station and this ship will return to assist the fleet here.” 

“I will be going with N’tho ‘Saorm and Usze ‘Taham to the Earth’s surface, to assist Johnson and Miranda with operations on the ground,” The Arbiter said.  “Your purpose, Zeno, is to assist their intelligence unit in finding out what Truth is after on the planet.” 

“So for the two weeks in slipspace we will be sitting around doing nothing…,”  Zeno groaned. 

“Not entirely,” Rtas said, tossing him a data module.  “You will be busy learning the human’s language.” 

Zeno groaned louder: hadn’t he been beaten down enough on this?  “Why can’t I just rely on the translators?” 

“/Not all humans you will encounter will have access to one,\”  Johnson said.  “/Though I highly doubt any ONI spook will be without one, you may as well just suck it up and learn.\” 

“ONI spook?” 

“That is their intelligence unit:  they seem to have a lack of…Trust with it.”  Rtas pointed out. 

“/With all the weird ass and downright unethical crap they pulled…Can you blame us?\” 

“And you are having me work with such people?”  Zeno asked. 

“/We may not trust them as far as we can throw them, but they are usually the only people that know what the hell is going on.  Getting them to tell us what that is, is the tricky part.\” 

“/There are a number of ONI officers aboard,\” the female human, Miranda, said.  “/One of them will surely assist you in understanding how things work with them during the trip.\” 

“Wonderful….”  Zeno muttered.  He had been hoping he didn’t have to interact with them so soon. 

“During this mission you will be temporarily put under the Arbiter’s command,” Rtas said. 

“What?  Why?  Are you not….” 

Rtas had an expression of regret on his face.  “My talents are needed here, Zeno.  I am being transferred to an assault carrier:  the _Shadow of Intent._ I will be leading the Sangheili fleet in quarantining _High Charity_.” 

“Quarantining…If the city is lost to the Flood…Why not just destroy it?” 

There were a few brief growls from the other Sangheili in the room.  A mixture of anger at the suggestion, but also uncertainty.  “I doubt the majority of the ships would be willing to destroy it, _High Charity_ having been our home for so long.  Plus, I do not believe we have enough ships to commence such a deed:  the civil war has cost us many ships and more are being lost as we speak.” 

“I see….” 

“If there are no other inquires, I suggest we adjourn this meeting,” the Arbiter said.  “The sooner this ship can depart the sooner we can catch up with Truth.” 

“Agreed.   There are a couple of things I need to do before departing myself,” Rtas said.  “Zeno…Good luck.” 

Zeno just numbly nodded, turned and left the room.  

\--- 

Zeno headed straight for the infirmary, wanting to get the dislocated mandible taken care of before he returned to his quarters to try to get more sleep.  If sleep could claim him again that is:  with all that was just revealed, his mind was in turmoil once more and likely wouldn’t let sleep take him easily.  The weight of the data module in his hand was all too evident as well, along with what it meant.  Half of him wanted to thrown the damn thing and smash it to pieces, while the other was resigned to his fate. 

The infirmary was a bustle of activity due to the causalities caused by the cruiser take over, medics running about like a Kig-Yar with its head cut off.  It didn’t help that the place was obviously understaffed, but then again…considering how his people felt toward medics that wasn’t too surprising.  Medical personal were always on the low priority list. 

“By the gods…Not another one…,” one of the medics said when he spotted him.  “We are swamped as is….” 

“Do not worry I am an easy case,” Zeno said, pointing to his mandible.  “Dislocated mandible, tried to pop it back in myself but it is being stubborn.” 

“If it is really dislocated: it could be broken at the joint,” the medic said, gesturing to a chair.  “Sit please, you are obviously too tall for me to work on with you standing up.” 

Zeno snorted softly and sat down.  The first thing the medic did was to remove his mandible guard and felt the appendage carefully.  Though he was gentle, Zeno had to resist the urge to try to bite his hand off. 

“Your self-diagnosis is actually correct.” The medic said after a moment.  “Lucky you.  Mandible splints are such a pain.  Hold still a moment.” 

Zeno closed his eyes and braced himself.  Though he was expecting the jolt of pain when the medic popped the mandible back into place, he still yelped when he did it.  Afterward, he flexed his mandibles, finding them to all be in working order again. 

“I would suggest putting a cold pack on that for a while, to stave off any swelling.” The medic said as Zeno put the mandible guard back on.  “Not that you warrior types would listen anyway.” 

“Be thankful I came here at all,” Zeno growled as he rose to his feet. 

“Oh do not be so hard on them, Zeno,” a familiar voice said.  “They have a hard enough life as is without us making it harder.” 

“Henun!”  Zeno said, turning to see his fellow recon member standing a short distance away.  The other SpecOps had his right arm in a sling, but otherwise looked fine.  “How is your arm?” 

Henun’s face looked sullen.  “They say it is pretty bad and that they may have to remove it,” he said softly.  “I am getting a second opinion when they transfer me to the other ship, where they have a full medical staff.” 

“Which ship?” 

“ _Shadow of Intent_.” 

“Same ship the commander is going to.” 

“Aye, so is he.”  Henun gestured to another familiar face lying on a bed behind him.  Zeno barely recognized the young major. 

“Ne’zu…How is he?” 

“The good news is that he does not seem to have any brain damage,” Henun said.  “The bad news…Well, we do not know the extent of it yet.” 

“How do you mean?” 

“He woke up earlier and started complaining of not only a headache, which is understandable from his injury, but also that he had ringing in one ear, but could hear nothing out of the other.” 

“Gods…,” Zeno swore. 

“It was driving him crazy, kept thrashing about.  The medics finally had to sedate him so he would not hurt himself.” 

Zeno shook his head.  He had felt bad for Henun when he learned he may lose his arm, but at least he could still be a productive member of society.  Ne’zu though…If he had really lost his hearing, would be a dead weight and likely culled, if he did not take his own life first.  Zeno wondered if he just wasted his time protecting him after the Chieftain injured him so. 

“How are you holding up Zeno?”  Henun asked, concern in his voice. 

“I….”  Zeno wasn’t sure what to say.  “So much has changed…So quickly…I am still trying to sort it out….” 

Henun walked over and put his good hand on his shoulder.  “It is a trying time for all of us brother…And we need to stick together to see it through.” 

His hand felt so warm…A warmth he knew he would not feel again for a long time, if ever again.  Zeno wanted to cry in Henun’s shoulder right there, to release the grief in his hearts.  However, in this public place it would not be appropriate, so he resisted the urge. It would turn out he would not have the opportunity anyway. 

“Henun,” the voice of his commander said from the doorway.  “Are you and Ne’zu ready?” 

“Yes, commander.  The medics finished prepping Ne’zu for transport a few moments ago.” Henun replied. 

“Excellent.  Have the medics bring Ne’zu to the hanger immediately.  We will be leaving shortly.” 

“Yes, commander.”  Henun then looked at Zeno.  “Guess I will see you later then, Zeno.” 

Zeno shook his head.  “Not likely for some time, Henun.  I was tasked with a special mission on the human homeworld.”  He dared not to tell him that he would be _working_ with the humans: the thought still churned his stomach. 

“Oh.”  Henun looked surprised, maybe even a little disappointed.  “I wish you luck then, brother.  Stay strong.” 

“I will try.” 

Henun gave him one last brotherly pat on the shoulder, before getting a medic to start moving Ne’zu out of the infirmary.  Zeno watched in silence for a moment, watching as he was separated from the only friends he had left.  The weight of loneliness heavy on his hearts, he finally returned to his own quarters.  There he stripped off his armor and collapsed into his bed. 

He cried himself to sleep, longing for someone to hold and comfort him…. 

\--- 

For the next couple of days Zeno kept to himself.  He mostly stayed in his room, studying the contents of the data module he was given, only coming out to eat, bathe and to practice his sword forms.  Zeno also did not interact much with anyone, even his own people.  What was the point?  Those that he knew well were either not on this ship at all, or just weren’t the comforting type like the Arbiter.  

He wasn’t in the mood to try to make new friends either, not since he would just be separated from them as well once they arrived at Earth.  And getting to know a human or two was definitely not on his ‘to do’ list.  His hatred for the species may have been lessened by the revelation the Arbiter revealed to him, but he still felt wary and bitter toward them.  The mere thought of trying to get buddy, buddy with a human made his stomach upset. 

It would turn out that he would not have a choice in that regard. 

Zeno was in the training room, just finishing up his forms for the day, when he realized that a human was watching him.  He had seen them watch before, but usually only for a moment or two before they continued on, but this one looked like he was rather interested in him.  The human was male, a younger one from what he could tell, reddish mop of hair, blue eyes and a pale complexion.  

Like all the humans that were stuck on board the ship, he was in his duty uniform, but this one was different than the ones he had seen before.  The fabric was a dark, almost black, grey and was very crisp and clean.  He wasn’t a ground soldier, like that Johnson person, and he didn’t come off as a ship commander, like that one female human, Miranda.  No, this human had an air about him that hinted at something more important. 

“What do you want, human?”  Zeno growled, lowering his swords, but not turning them off. 

“/Are you Zeno ‘Ribal?\” the human asked. 

He felt his stomach tie itself in a knot.  Wonderful, this must be one of those humans Miranda hinted at going to ask to ‘help’ him.  “And if I am?” He replied. 

“/I am First Lieutenant Luke McGuire, of the Office of Naval Intelligence.  I was asked to assist you by Captain Keyes.\” 

“I do not _want_ your assistance.”  Zeno growled, finally turning off his blades and placing them back on his hip. 

“/I can imagine there are a number of Elites that are not keen about having to ally with us humans, but circumstances have made it a must if both our species is to survive the coming storm.\” 

“Perhaps….”  Zeno turned and left the room, wanting to get back to his quarters and away from this human.  To his dismay, the human started following him. 

“/You seem a lot grumpier than the other Elites I have spoken to.\” he commented. 

Zeno stopped in his stride and rounded on him.  “First off, human, it is _Sangheili_ …Not ‘Elite’ as your barbaric species insists on calling us.  _San-gil-lee_.  Got it?  Second, I have more reason to despise your kind than most, so do not try me!” 

“/Barbaric?  _We_ were not the ones _glassing_ whole cities and planets, killing billions of innocent non-combatants, including women and children.\” 

“Blame the prophets for that,” Zeno growled.  

“/Oh, so you guys do not recognize an illegal order when you hear one?  With my species, any order of questionable morality can be disobeyed without fear of repercussions.  That includes the slaughter of non-combatants.\” 

Zeno snorted with disgust.  “So you basically allow the weak bloodlines to continue on without question?  In Sangheili culture, if you dishonored your bloodline or otherwise proved it to be weak, your life and the lives of your descendants, is forfeited.” 

“/So you would kill off a whole family for the actions of one?  And you call us barbaric?\”  The human folded his arms, a look of disgust on his own face. 

“Sanghelios is a harsh world to live on, human.  Only the strong and capable are worthy of surviving.  Any weakness cannot be allowed to spread through the bloodlines.  That is the way it has always been.” 

“/Just because it has ‘always been that way’ doesn’t mean it is _right._ \” 

“Right?  What would you consider to be right? Your sense of morals is rather contradictory.” 

“/And yours isn’t?\” 

Zeno arched his head down so he could look the human in the eye.  “Perhaps, but at least _my_ kind do not strap their captives to a table, paralyzed due to drugs and start treating them like a piece of meat.  No, _my_ people give you the honor of a quick death rather than a slow, humiliating one.” 

The human blinked, his expression a mix of different emotions.  One was most definitely surprise:  Zeno had seen that one enough to know it immediately.  As for the others, he did not recognize.  Certainly wasn’t anger or sorrow, though maybe regret? 

“/And this happened to you?\” The human’s tone sounded guarded. 

“Obviously.”  Zeno snorted. 

“/Where?  When?\” 

“That, human, is none of your business.  I have told you too much as is.”  He turned and started back down the hallway, hoping that was the end of the conversation. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t. 

“/Please understand,\”  The annoying human said, jogging briefly to catch up to him.  “/There are many different factions, beliefs if you will, with my species.  Some less…Moral than others.  Surely it is the same with your own?\” 

“If there are, they are not nearly to the extreme as you suggest yours is,” Zeno grumbled. 

“/We are not as bad as we once where, I admit that much.\” 

“So you were even worse once?  No wonder the prophets deemed you unworthy of joining us, despite a number of my kind wishing that to be so.” 

“/You actually wanted humanity to join your Covenant?\” 

“Not _me_ , but a number of others did.”  _Miko…,_ Zeno thought, having to fight hard not to break down into tears right there. 

“/That is interesting.  Your prophets and many of your fellows, kept referring to us as heretics, defilers and blasphemers.  Terms I haven’t seen used since humanity was divided religiously.\” 

“Divided religiously?”  Zeno couldn’t help but be curious.  Was this similar to how their own heretics defected from the Covenant?

 “/A few centuries back, there would be full blown wars over whose religion was the _right_ one.  People killing others simply because they said their _god_ demanded it, or because they didn’t believe in _their_ version of god.  A rather sad chapter in our history….\” 

And it sounded painfully familiar.  Were they not imposing their own beliefs upon them?  Because their _gods_ said so?  Gods that turned out to be nothing more than backstabbing liars…. 

“I am surprised you did not wipe yourselves out.” 

“/We came close to doing just that a number of times,\”  The human admitted.  “/Rogue, radical nations trying to, and in some cases succeeding, in getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction.  Weapons that would have made our planet uninhabitable if used only a few times.  If not that, then biological agents that would have caused the death of millions if not billions and with those that survived fighting each other over what resources remained.  Thankfully though, we eventually learned to set aside our differences, for the most part.  Unfortunately, there will always be those that dislike another just because they are _different_ in some way.\” 

Zeno made a rumbling noise in his throat.  Many of the things this human was saying sounded eerily familiar.  Familiar to the point of making him uncomfortable.  “So you were tasked to assist me,” he said, changing the subject.  “What were you to assist me _with_?” 

“/Learning our primary language,\” The human said, sounding slightly relieved at the change of subject.  “/And how things work within the Office of Naval Intelligence.\” 

“ _Primary_ language?  You mean you have more than one?” 

“/Dozens, if not hundreds.  Used to be in the thousands, especially if you included all the different dialects, but many have died out over the centuries.  Fortunately for you, English is required to be learned by all humans.  So learn that and you are set.\” 

“Lucky me….” 

“/How good are you at learning languages?  I know some people have more difficulty than others.\” 

“I consider myself fairly good at it.  I know most of the Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar language, and a fair amount of the San ‘Shyuum language.”  Zeno admitted with a little bit of pride in his voice.  “Probably would know them fully if I was not out on missions all the time.” 

“/Brute?  That may be useful if the fur balls start using their own language rather than…San..Hell…Lee…was it?\” 

“San-gil-lee.” 

“/Right…San-gil-lee.\” 

He had to give the human credit: he was trying at least.  Maybe working with humans wouldn’t be so bad after all…With this one anyway.  Still, he was tired, physically and now mentally from the debate.  Fortunately, his room was just ahead.  “Listen human,” he began.  “It is the end of the day cycle, I am tired and just want to relax a bit before going to sleep.” 

“/No problem.  I just wanted to touch base with you before turning in myself.  I’ll see you tomorrow.\” 

“Yes…Great…Lovely.”  Zeno muttered as the human finally walked away.  He made sure the human was out of site before entering his code and entering his quarters.  After that, he stripped himself down to nothing and collapsed on the bed. 

Though he was exhausted mentally and physically, he found sleep wasn’t coming to him easily tonight.  The things the human told him about human history today kept poking at him.  Disturbing him with the thought that Sangheili and humans were not so different after all. 

 _Too soon…_ He told himself.  _Too soon to come to that kind of conclusion._   After all, Luke had only told him a small part of human history, a very summarized version at that.  It was not enough to reliably compare his own species against. 

It was enough, however, to open his mind a bit.


	8. Lessions

For the next week, Zeno was visited frequently by the ONI agent.  He focused mostly on learning the language, ‘English’ as it was called, then on anything else, though once in awhile the lessons devolved into a debate.  Today would be no exception. 

“/Tell me, how come you guys never used our weapons until recently?\”  Luke asked out of the blue.  “/I’ve heard reports of your people being out of ammo, with perfectly good human weapons at their feet, preferring to charge at our lines weaponless instead. Seems kind of a waste if you ask me.\” 

“Your weapons are unclean and thus dishonorable to be touched by our hands,” Zeno explained, groaning faintly. 

“/Unclean?  Of course weapons are ‘unclean’!  All that grease, oil, and gun powder residue.  Not to mention the mess they make when you shoot someone with them.\” 

Zeno sighed.  “Either your definition of ‘unclean’ is different than mine, or are you being sarcastic.” 

“/Sarcasm, mostly.  I am guessing that your definition in this case is mainly religious in nature.\” Zeno nodded.  “/Our definition also has a religious tone to it in some applications, though usually it refers to a person, an act, or a type of food, not a weapon.\” 

“Why would you consider food ‘unclean’?  Food is food is it not?” 

“/Well, many centuries ago we didn’t have the knowledge on how to cook certain foods to ensure any toxins or other things that could make us sick would be neutralized.\” 

“Your kind must have weak stomachs then.  We can eat almost anything we can catch, raw or cooked.” 

“/Not so much that we have ‘weak stomachs’ as it is that we are omnivores:  we have not evolved into specialized carnivores like you guys obviously did.\” 

Zeno nodded, conceding the human’s point.  “You also mentioned ‘acts’ could be unclean.” 

“/Yes, though it largely depends on the region and era on what ‘acts’ are considered so. Again, a lot of it is religious reasoning, though sometimes cultural as well.  For instance, in some religions and cultures, when a woman is on her period, she is considered ‘unclean’ until it is over.\” 

“What?” Zeno looked at him confused. 

“/Ah...\” Luke scratched his head, clearly slightly uncomfortable about the subject.  “/It’s part of the human female’s reproductive cycle.  Roughly once a month, she bleeds from her…um…reproductive track for about a week.\” 

Zeno’s eyes widened in horror.  “Your females lose honor like that every month!?” 

“/What? No…Blood, not….\” 

“Same thing!” 

“/Wait…You equate blood with honor?\” 

“And you do not?” 

“/No…Closest thing I can compare that to is like bloodline or family honor:  we don’t see the actual body fluid as ‘honor’.\” 

“Our blood is everything to us.  To lose it is to lose honor.  The only time it is acceptable to lose any is in honorable combat.  Anything else, is dishonorable.” 

“/But what if one of you need to get surgery, or a blood transfusion.\” 

Zeno felt sick at the thought and he was sure he looked it too.  “Anything to do with a medic is abhorrent to us. No Sangheili warrior worth his honor would willingly go to a medic and if they do, they fight extra hard at the next battle to make up for the honor lost.” 

“/You make it sound like doctors are the scum of the universe in your culture.\” 

“To most of us, yes, indeed.” 

“/And you never had to visit one?\” 

“Unfortunately yes.  However, those times were tolerable as they did not need to make me bleed to assess and treat my condition.” 

“/And yet if you accepted what a doctor has to do more, more of your lives would be saved.  Our doctors have saved trillions of lives…\” 

“At what cost human?”  Zeno asked.  “By saving the weak and stupid, you allow them to procreate and spread their weakness further into your gene pool.  I have noticed, for instance, some of you wearing some type of lenses on their faces….” 

“/Glasses.  For near or far-sightedness and a couple other conditions with the eyes.\” 

“Right…If a Sangheili had this ‘near’ or ‘far-sightedness’ as you call it, he or she would not live long on our world.  Thus that ‘defect’ would be largely removed from the gene pool.  So tell me, human, why give such devices to those afflicted so?” 

“/To improve their quality of life.\” Luke replied simply. 

“Is it right to improve the life of a few at the risk of degrading the ‘quality of life’ for future generations?” 

“/It wouldn’t be degrading if we can provide the same devices to the rest of them.\” 

“But you would not have to, if the first did not live to procreate in the first place and the resources that would have been spent on those devices could be used elsewhere, like on things that could improve the community as a whole.” 

“/So you would leave those disadvantaged to suffer?\” 

Zeno growled and lowered his head to his.  “Do not talk to _me_ about the disadvantaged ‘suffering’.  I have suffered much, human, by your hands and by the hands of my own.  The difference, is that I fought back and proved myself to be worthy of continued existence…Despite the fact that many of my kind only see me worthy of death.  Those that fail to prove themselves worthy of the same, deserve the death they are given.” 

“/Just how have you suffered then?\” 

Zeno raised his head, considering.  How much should he tell this human, whom he had told so much already?  “Two things,” he said softly.  “First…Is that I am a semo.” 

“/A what?\” 

“Semo…I prefer the company of the same sex.”  Zeno gritted his mandibles, images of Miko flashing through his mind.  It was hard not to cry…. 

“/Oh!  Our word for it is ‘homosexual’.  Never would have thought you guys had gays in your culture….\” 

“Gays?” 

“/Another word for it.  There are other, less…Pleasant words as well.  Sexual orientations like homosexuality is actually one of the few things people still haven’t fully accepted yet.  Many people are still squeamish about it…Some still even call it ‘unnatural’ when it’s been proven otherwise a long time ago.\” 

 _Sounds very familiar…_ Zeno thought, remembering when he used to refer to it as ‘unnatural’ himself.  “And you are not bothered by it?” 

“/Heavens no.  Why hate something if they cannot help being the way they are born?  Anyway…You said there were two things….\” 

He sighed.  “The second is that I am sterile.” 

“/I don’t see how that can make you suffer….\” 

“Besides honor, bloodline is important to us.  What is the point of bringing honor and glory to your bloodline if you cannot continue it?  To some Sangheili, a sterile male does not deserve a place in the warrior ranks: ‘give the spot to someone that can breed’, they would say.  No…They would consider someone like me to be only worth being a lowly serf and some…Would rather have me slain for ‘taking up resources’ even though I am fully capable of fighting among the best of them.” 

“/So you are a walking contradiction….\” 

“Excuse me?” 

“/You just got through telling me that those that are disadvantaged are best left to die unless they can prove themselves worthy otherwise.  And yet…You can’t reproduce, something that would have been difficult for you even if you weren’t sterile, so anything you do is pretty much pointless since you cannot pass your traits on to the next generation.  So…Why are you here?  What do you keep fighting for?\” 

Zeno blinked at him, dumbstruck.  The human’s words put his mind into turmoil:  what was his reason for continuing on?  What was his purpose?  Before…He could claim that his purpose was to fulfill the wishes of the prophets…A purpose that was a lie...A falsehood.  What did he have left?  Miko was gone and so was Kou eight years prior.  Rtas and Lila were out of reach, so he had no one to confide in…. 

….No one but this human. 

“I do not know anymore….” 

“/Did you even know in the first place?\” 

With a snarl Zeno grabbed the impudent human by the shirt and pinned him against a nearby wall.  “I fought for the Journey.  I fought for the prophets, whose names I now curse.  I fought for Miko….”  What momentum he had was suddenly extinguished at the mention of his deceased lover’s name.  Quickly, he let the human go and turned away, not wanting to shame himself further by letting a _human_ see the tears welling up in his eyes. 

“/Miko?  Who or what is Miko?\”  The damn human was asking. 

“Get out,” Zeno grumbled.  “We are done for the day.” 

“/Done?  We were barely working for an hour.\” 

“Get _out_!”  He roared this time, lifting up a chair. 

Luke barely scrambled out of his room before said chair hit the spot where he was once standing. 

\-- 

Later Zeno was sitting in the training room, his knees folded up against his chest.  He had come here with the intent to vent his frustrations by practicing his swordsmanship, but found he had not the will or energy for it.  So he just sat instead, brooding, his mind numb from sorrow. 

“You gave your human tutor quite a fright,” a familiar voice said, breaking the silence that surrounded him. 

Zeno didn’t bother standing up to give the Arbiter proper respects.  After all, he was part the reason he was stuck in this situation.  “Then he should have left the first time I told him to leave my quarters,” he grumbled bitterly. 

“You are lucky you did not actually hit the human with that chair.” 

“And what if I did?”  Zeno growled, finally looking up at the Arbiter.  “Would you have killed me for it?” 

“No, too many Sangheili have perished in recent days, Zeno,” the Arbiter said patiently.  “We cannot afford to be killing each other over such matters.  Though I am curious over what spurred you into throwing furniture about.” 

“He called me a ‘walking contradiction’…And he was right…I am.”  He turned his head away as he added.   “What good am I but a blade to slay our enemies?  I have no family that cares for me, beyond my sister.  I cannot contribute to repopulating our species.  I have little to live for, but to fight, now…And once this war is over, for good or ill, what use would I be to our people?” 

When the Arbiter didn’t respond immediately, Zeno looked his way again.  Though the Arbiter’s overall expression was unreadable, Zeno could see in his eyes that his words had struck a chord.  “You question your purpose.  A question you are not alone in asking in this strange new era,” the Arbiter finally said.  “The answer to such question may very well elude us for some time once this war is over.  However, the search for that answer must wait:  our focus must be on this new turn to the war we have been a part of for the last few decades.” 

“But what is the point of fighting now, Arbiter?  The reason the war started in the first place is a lie….” 

The Arbiter’s answer was short and sweet. “Revenge.” 

“Revenge…It does not sit well with me anyway.” 

“Says one who took vengeance on a couple of fellow Sangheili himself.” 

“Vengeance you said yourself was justified.” 

“And revenge against the Prophets and their Brute puppets _is_ justified.” 

“The Prophets, yes, but the Brutes…Are they not just following orders? Are they not just blinded to the Prophets lies as we were?” 

The Arbiter gave him a look.  “I gave the Brutes a chance to see the error of their ways.  I told their Chieftain, Tartarus, the truth, the Oracle confirming it itself and he chose to continue to believe the lies.  That decision has doomed the Brutes to their fate.” 

“So you are willing to judge a whole species on the actions of one….” 

“The other Brutes are not so innocent,” the Arbiter growled.  “They fight without honor and they willingly consumed the flesh of our brothers…An act they surely would have done to you and Miko if you had not won that battle.” 

Zeno shuddered at the thought.  “Still…Having only revenge as motivation for living…It cannot be enough….” 

“For now it will be.” 

“And after revenge is sated…What then?” 

The Arbiter did not have an answer to that. 

\--- 

For the remainder of the journey, Zeno focused simply on learning the human language.  He did not want to get into any more debates with his human teacher, especially since Luke so easily made his mind reel, intentionally or not.  So he refused to answer any more of the human’s random questions, to spare what sanity he had remaining.  If the sudden ‘shutting out’ bothered him, Luke did not show it, as far as Zeno could tell anyway.  The upside to this was that he was starting to rely on the translator less and less:  soon he would not need it at all. 

Then came the day the ship arrived in the Sol system.  The shipmaster dropped the _Faithful Guardian_ as close as he dared to Earth without drawing the attention of Truth’s forces:  around a planet they called _Mars_ if Zeno heard correctly. Commander Keyes then made quick use of the comm systems to inform their defense stations, the few that were left anyway, that the _Faithful Guardian_ was an allied ship.  Shortly after that the few Sangheili that would be staying with the humans, crowded onto a human vessel that was docked in the _Faithful Guardian’s_ hanger bay. 

/“Mind your head,\” Luke quipped after Zeno had bumped his head for the third time.  “/It is a bit crowded in here for you guys.\ 

 _Crowded…More like cramped._ Zeno thought with a faint growl.  For obvious reasons this ship was not made with Sangheili in mind, so the ceiling was almost claustrophobically low for individuals of his height.  The door frames were even lower, which were what he kept bumping his head on.  “Please tell me where we will be working has a structure better suited for species of my size,” he grumbled. 

Luke thought it over a moment.  “/Not by much I am afraid.  Oh…\” 

“What?” 

“/Um…You are probably not going to like your quarters for that matter.\” 

Zeno was already getting a bad feeling.  “Small?” 

“/I can probably arrange for a room about as big as the one on the _Faithful Guardian_ , but the bed….\” 

“Will be human sized,” Zeno finished, moaning as he got it.  “Wonderful…And I take it your waste disposal faculties will likely be insufficient for my waste products.” 

It took Luke a moment to get his meaning.  “/Um…I doubt it.  I’ll be sure to forewarn the maintenance guys about your likely impending plumbing issues.\” 

“I do not know if I should be _grateful_ or not….” 

“/Well I know what _I_ am not grateful for,\”  Johnson suddenly spoke up behind them.  “/You guys making me think about alien shitlogs just before lunch….\” 

Luke burst out in laughter, Johnson giving him a look.  Zeno, honestly could not see what was so funny about it…. 

\--- 

It would take the human ship a few hours to reach the next destination: an orbital station at the Earth’s sole moon.  So the small Sangheili group settled in the mess hall to wait.  This room was likely one of the few places on board where Sangheili could walk about without feeling claustrophobic on this ship.  Zeno and his fellow Sangheili mostly kept to themselves, though N’tho occasionally attempted to strike up a conversation with a human.  The SpecOps was pretty much ignored and Zeno noted that they were getting their fair share of glares their way.  It was safe to say that there were humans that didn’t like this ‘alliance’ any more than he did. 

 _But can we blame them?_   Zeno thought, remembering how his own species contributed to their slaughter.  Then he remembered his own treatment by human hands, causing an involuntary shudder down his spine.  _We both have monsters to hate._  

/Um, Zeno?\ 

Zeno looked up at Luke, whom just sat down beside him.  The look on the human’s face seemed to suggest he was about to say something he wouldn’t like at all.  “What is it?”  Zeno sighed. 

“/I just got through talking to my superiors and…um….\” 

“Out with it human.” 

“/You are not going to have your own room, not…Right away at least.\” 

Zeno blinked at him, digesting what this meant.  “I will be sharing a room with someone….” 

“/Yeah….\” 

“With who?” 

“/Me.\” 

“ _What!?_ ”  Zeno said.  “I have to bunk with a _human_?” He knew the rest of the room was looking at them now, but he didn’t care.  “How much more humiliation must I endure from your species?” 

“/It’s only temporary!\”  Luke said, holding up his hands.  “/They have to shuffle some people around in order to accommodate your needs and that will take some time.\” 

“Well they better work quickly,” Zeno grumbled.  The thought of a human seeing him without his armor on again sickened him.  _Just how much more bad news is going to be thrown at me?_  

\--- 

The rest of the trip was uneventful, much to Zeno’s relief.  However, this would prove to be only short lived.  When they started to disembark from the human ship once it docked at the station, Zeno noticed they were greeted with an armed guard.  Considering what Luke told him about this place, it wasn’t surprising:  it was a secret faculty after all. 

Most of the escort were in the ONI uniform, only armed with battle rifles with security emblems on their breasts.  A couple of them however, were fully armored ODSTs and though their faces were covered by their helmets visors, Zeno could tell by their body postures that they seemed confused.  

“/What’s with the Elites?\” One of them asked the other. 

“/I dunno,\” the other responded with a shrug.  “/I heard a rumor that we struck up an alliance with them.\” 

“/What?  You mean we have to work with squid faces now?\” 

By that time Zeno was passing them and he suddenly stopped and turned toward them.  He walked right up to them, then glared down at them both as he stretched himself to his full height.  “/I do not like this arrangement anymore than you do, human.\” Zeno snarled in their tongue.  “/But it is for the benefit of both parties, so get used to it.\”  

“/Whoa…Did that thing just speak English?\” 

“/I have been practicing,\”  Zeno snarled.  “/I suggest you mind your manners, before I rip your tongue out of your mouth.\” 

“/I’d like to see you…oof!\”  The bad mouthing ODST was elbowed sharply by his partner. 

“/Shut it Romes, we don’t want any fights starting here.\” 

“/What is going on here?\ A third ODST said as he approached. 

“/Romeo opened his big mouth.\”  

“/Typical…\” the newcomer said with a sigh.  “/Am I going to have to give you a standing order to keep your mouth shut again?\” 

“/But things are not as entertaining if I am quiet, Gunny.\”  Romeo quipped. 

“/Yeah, but we get fewer headaches.\”  The yet unnamed ODST retorted. 

“/Thank you for your support, Dutch.\” 

“/You’re welcome.\” 

Gunny shook his head and turned his attention to Zeno and the other Sangheili.  “/Best you get going.  The commander is waiting for you in the briefing room.\” 

“Agreed,”  the Arbiter said.  “We have lingered here long enough.  Come Zeno.” 

Zeno snorted and gave Romeo one last glare before following.


	9. Briefings

The briefing room was not as cramped feeling as the corridors they used to get to it, but Zeno still felt the ceiling was too close to his head for comfort.  He wondered if the Arbiter, the only Sangheili among them that rivaled his height, felt the same, but he realized that whatever discomfort the Arbiter felt himself would be only temporary.  The Arbiter would be going down to the surface of the human homeworld, while he would be stuck on this station. 

The ONI commander and Miranda spoke at length, the Arbiter adding in when needed, mostly about the temporary alliance.  They briefly had another human on a view screen join the discussion, someone they referred to as ‘Lord Hood’.  From what Zeno was able to gather, Lord Hood was the current leader of the remaining human military forces and while he seemed distrusting of the Arbiter and the other Sangheili, he sounded relieved that they were on his side.  After Lord Hood signed off, the ONI commander, Miranda and the Arbiter spoke a bit longer, before concluding that part of the meeting. Then it was on to Zeno himself…. 

“This is Special Operations Zeno ‘Ribal,” the Arbiter said, introducing him.  “He was chosen to remain here and assist in your operations.  He specializes in reconnaissance.” 

“/So this is one of your guys that kept finding our hidden bases,\” the ONI commander said. “/Glad to have you on our side for once, we could use your knowledge and skills.  How is your English?\ 

“/Improving by the day,\” Zeno replied in their tongue.  “/Your subordinate has been assisting me with this task.\” 

“/Lieutenant McGuire informed me you were picking it up quickly and I see he was not exaggerating.  He has told you of how your accommodations are being handled?\” 

Zeno couldn’t keep the faint growl of disgust from his tone. “/He has.\” 

“/We will have a more appropriate accommodation set up for you as soon as we can. In the mean time, Lieutenant McGuire will show you around the station.  Also, you are to have a human escort with you whenever you are not in your quarters.\” 

He snarled at that. “/Why?\” he demanded.  “/I am not your prisoner!\” 

“/For your own protection, to be honest,\” the human replied. “/There are those on this station that are not happy at all with this new arrangement and may attempt to harm you.\” 

“/And if they tried, they would be the ones hurting...\” 

“Zeno,” the Arbiter warned. 

“/…Within reason,\” Zeno quickly added. “/I am under explicit orders not to harm any of you without a good reason.\” 

“/And my men will be under orders for the same, Zeno.  Though it is a shame it must be given,\”  The commander said. 

“/My people’s crimes may be great,\” Zeno growled lowly. “/But your kind are not so innocent yourselves….\” 

The commander’s eyes widened slightly, but quickly returned to a normal state.  “/With war, neither side is totally innocent.  Miranda, we will keep you updated on what the Covenant are doing in New Mombasa when we can.  Good luck in the Crows Nest.  Lieutenant McGuire, help our new troop get situated with the station.  I am sure we will have a mission for him soon.\” 

After they were dismissed, Luke showed him around.  Almost everything Luke showed him Zeno had one opinion of: cramped.  Hallways.  Cramped.  Armory.  Cramped, but a bit more understandable considering all the weaponry within.  He was also mildly surprised he wasn’t asked to hand over his swords, but then again, the armory guy looked like he was too intimidated by his presence to even ask.  Training room was large, but it was also cramped due to all the ‘equipment’ stuffed into it.  Were humans so weak they have to rely on machines to strengthen their bodies?  They did have a decent sized sparring room, which Luke referred to as a ‘dojo’.  It was still too small though for his needs and all those mirrors would only distract him.  

They briefly stopped in the mess hall to eat, which was a decent size, but the seating looked inadequate for someone his size.  Zeno didn’t want to eat human food, but knew that was all that would be available to him from this point on.  Figuring out what was _edible_ to him though…. 

“/What is considered your meat, human?\” he asked the server, whom looked a bit intimidated by his presence. 

“/Chicken, beef, pork, fish…,\” the server said.  “/However it is a requirement that everyone have at least two servings of fruits and vegetables with each meal.\” 

Zeno growled and leaned close to the man, showing his fangs.  “/Does it _look_ like I eat plant matter?\” 

The man got the point and happily gave him generous helpings of each of the meat products.  He then followed Luke to a table off in a corner, where he noticed the benches they had for seating definately didn’t look like they would hold his weight.  His suspicion proved correct when he put his tray down and sat down, only for the bench to crack and snap, sending him to the floor.  A couple of the other humans started to laugh, but a glare in their direction shut them up immediately. 

“/We had that happen with Spartans too…,”\ Luke commented as Zeno picked himself off the floor. “/At least if they were in their suits.  After a couple of times we started requiring them to remove their armor before eating.\” 

“/You would think they would just design stronger furniture.\” Zeno grumbled as he settled into a meditation kneel: not very comfortable with his armor on, but he would be too low if he just sat on the floor. 

“/I’m sure such furniture is already available, but with the war…All our funding goes to weapons, defenses and training.  No point in having a fancy, expensive seat if you are not alive to sit in it.\” 

It was a valid point, so Zeno simply nodded and focused on eating.  Or at least, figuring out _how_ to eat this food he was given.  Sangheili were not barbarians and did actually use tools to eat, but the human’s versions of such tools were pitifully small in his hands.  He somehow managed with most of what was on his plate, cutting them into slightly smaller pieces before stuffing them into his mouth swallowing.  The item that was called ‘chicken’ though was a problem: the meat was still on the bones of whatever a ‘chicken’ was and it was taking too much effort to try to remove the meat from it. 

He clicked his lower mandibles in a shrug and then just swallowed a chicken portion whole, bones and all.  Luke was rather shocked.  “/You just…Won’t that….\” he stammered. 

“/Sangheili stomach acids are strong,\” Zeno said after swallowing a second. “/We can digest bone, if needed.\” 

“/Right…\” 

As Luke turned back to his own meal as Zeno turned to his next problem: drinking.  The drinkware humans had were not designed for someone with mandibles and it took a moment for Zeno to figure out a compromise on how to use them.  He eventually opted to slip the top of the glass through the gap between his lower mandibles, next to his throat opening and tipping both the glass and his head back.  

“/Those mandibles of yours certainly cause problems when it comes to drinking don’t they?\”  Luke commented. 

“/Only when it comes to your drinking ware,\” Zeno grumbled.  “/Fortunately, we do not need to drink every often.\” 

“/Why is that?\” 

“/Our homeworld is hot and arid in many places due to our system having three suns,\” Zeno explained.  /”So our bodies have evolved to retain water whenever possible.”\ 

“/So you guys don’t need to take a piss as often?\” 

“/What?\”  Zeno raised an eye ridge. 

“/Um, expel liquid waste product.\” 

“/Such a lovely topic of discussion at meal time,\” Zeno grumbled.  “/Not to mention your curiosity about my kind’s bodily functions is somewhat disturbing.\” 

“/I get your point.  Shutting up.\” 

They finished up their respective meals a short time later, Luke resuming the tour afterward.  Most of the remaining areas Luke said he couldn’t actually take him to for security reasons.  Really the only other place Luke could show him was the medical ward, with which just one glance told Zeno that Luke wasn’t kidding when he told him that human’s do everything they could to save their own.  The very thought of being under a human doctor’s care made him feel sick:  his experience at _Truy_ made sure of that. 

By the time Luke showed him the barrack wing and what would be his temporary quarters, Zeno was starting to feel weariness from the day’s events.  When Luke opened the door to their shared quarters, however, Zeno immediately doubted he would be getting any kind of rest.  The room was not just cramped, but _suffocatingly_ so.  Zeno estimated that the room wasn’t much bigger then he was tall in both depth and width, with a bit more on the width side of things.  There was a human sized bed on either side of the room, along with two human styled dressers.  Straight ahead in the middle was a door, which Zeno assumed was the bathroom.  

“/You have got to be kidding me.”\ Zeno grumbled after scoping out the room.  “/A single room on _our_ ships is easily _twice_ this size!\” 

“/Yeah, I know,\” Luke said. “/But we are not as big as you guys are, so we do not require as much space.\” 

“/And you expect me to fit on that bed?\”  Zeno growled, pointing to the bed that didn’t have its sheets put on. 

“/Unfortunately, king size, even queen size, beds are not high on the requisition list.  Surely, considering your career, you’ve had to deal with worse?\” 

“/Yes…When I was out in the _field_ ,\” Zeno snapped. “/I do not expect to sleep in an inadequate sized bed when I am back on the ship.”\ 

“/Point taken, but look. This is the best we got for the time being.  I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to make do for now.\” 

Zeno growled and then breathed a heavy sigh.  The human was correct:  for now he would just have to make do.  Begrudgingly, he turned his back on the human and started removing his armor.  The room lacked an armor rack, so Zeno just stacked the pieces neatly against the wall.  He was not going to remove his bodysuit however, as he knew he would not be comfortable having another human see him completely nude.  Zeno shuddered slightly at the memory. 

“/You’re not going to remove the skinsuit?\” Luke asked. 

“/I have as much desire to allow you to see me naked as I am eager to see you as the same,\”  Zeno sneered.  “/And I am certain you feel the same.\” 

“/Good point.\” 

The next step was to get into the bed without it snapping it in two.  He didn’t bother putting the sheets on, as he strongly suspected he would be ripping them back off again anyway. His suspicion proved correct when he started to climb into the bed.  Though he had done his best to spread out his weight, the bed frame bowed dangerously underneath him. Then suddenly the frame snapped, sending him crashing to the floor with a loud ‘oof’. 

He heard Luke trying his best to not laugh, but was failing miserably.  Zeno, now too frustrated and tired to be angry, got up, pulled out the broken frame and tossed it outside their room.  He then laid down on the remaining mattress and laid the sheets over himself.  

“/Fire Marshall is going to get on your ass for blocking the hallway,\” Luke said between giggles. 

“/I do not care.\”  Zeno grumbled, closing his eyes.  With his back to the still giggling human, he proceeded to attempt to fall asleep.  Mental and physical exhaustion was the only reason he succeeded. 

\--- 

Zeno nearly ripped Luke’s arm off when the human woke him up the next morning by shaking him. “/Do _not_ touch me, human!\”  He snapped, glaring up at the human. 

“/Sorry, but calling your name wasn’t cutting it.\”  Luke said calmly, though Zeno could see the slight hint of fear in his eyes. 

“/And why risk your life to wake me so?\” 

“/You’ll be going on mission today and you need to report to the briefing room in an hour.\” 

“/Already?\”  Zeno raised an eye ridge as he stood up and stretched.  “/What is the mission?\” 

“/I don’t know, wasn’t told that.  You’ll find out at the briefing.  If you hurry, you should be able to grab a bit to eat before the briefing.\” 

Zeno was already snapping his armor pieces on as he said that.  “/What do you humans usually have for breakfast?\”  He asked. 

“/Eggs, pancakes, various cereals, toast, various fruits…Um, waffles, French toast….\” 

“/None of that sounds like something I would eat.\” 

“/That’s right, carnivore and all.  Um…They have some kind of meat.  Pork products usually:  bacon, sausage and ham.  Sometimes they’ll have steak and chicken, usually coated with a type of breading though.\” 

By now, Zeno had finished attaching his armor and was starting to head for the door, forcing Luke to rush with his own clothing.  “/Wait!  Aren’t you going to wash up first or something?\”  Luke asked as he jogged to catch up to him in the hallway. 

“/I am not going to waste time trying to figure out how your shower works when food and the briefing are more important at this moment,\”  Zeno grumbled.  “/I will wash when I return from the mission, provided I do not get too frustrated or I am not too exhausted to care.\” 

“/Can’t argue with that….\” 

The mess hall wasn’t too busy; the majority of the soldiers likely having already eaten.  This time the Zeno did not need to argue with the servers over portion size, or what he should be eating:  it was obvious the one he spoke with yesterday briefed the others about him.  After getting his _fair_ share of breakfast ham and sausage, he followed Luke to the same table they sat at before.  The seat Zeno broke was replaced, but Zeno didn’t even bother sitting on it, instead kicking it out of the way before kneeling on the floor. 

They ate in relative silence:  Luke not pestering him with questions for once.  Afterward Zeno headed straight for the briefing room, Luke following behind him.  The human, however, just leaned against the wall, making no move to go inside.  When he gave him a questioning look, Luke shrugged and said: “/I don’t do the field work stuff: I process the reports from those that do.\” 

Zeno snorted softly and continued in; annoyed that he would be working with strangers on his first mission.  So far, Luke was the only one human he had any bit of trust in and that wasn’t saying much.  Focusing on the room itself, he found he was the first in the room, besides the base commander.  “/Special Operations Zeno ‘Ribal, reporting as ordered.\” He announced, feeling slightly sick at reporting in to a _human_. 

“/You are early,\” The commander said, turning to face him. “/Just as well, there were a couple of things I wanted to ask you.\” 

“/What would those be?\” 

“/First, do you have any experience in using human weapons?\” 

“/No. Like most of my kind, I refused to even touch your weapons if I could help it.\” 

“/That will have to change, as we have no means of recharging your plasma weaponry and it is not always feasible, or safe, to salvage for it out in the field.\” 

“/I prefer melee weapons anyway,\” Zeno admitted. 

“/I do see that you have two hilts on your sides.  Energy swords I presume?\” 

“/Kisens.  A variant.\” 

“/I don’t believe we have ever witnessed an Elite using something other than the standard.\” 

“/Humans that have seen them, did not survive the encounter to report about it.\” Zeno couldn’t help the smug grin on his face, though if the human recognized it as such, there was no way of knowing.  The other reason was that kisans were largely specific to his keep and most Ribals just used the standard in the military from what he knew.  He wasn’t going to be telling the human that, however. 

“/Fair enough.  The other thing I wanted to ask if you had active camo.\” 

“/Standard with Special Operations issued armor.\” 

“/Good, can you activate it?\” 

“/Whatever for?\” 

“/The two agents you’ll be going with do not know they’ll be working with you yet.\” 

“/A surprise then.\” 

“/More like I want to ensure they won’t back out of this mission because of you.\” 

Zeno didn’t like the sound of that.  “/Would that not increase the possibility of one of them shooting me in the back during the mission itself?\” 

“/I already checked their profiles.  Both expressed gratitude that you are on our side now, but that doesn’t mean they will be willing to work directly with you.\” 

Zeno made a faint rumbling noise in his throat. “/Fair enough.\” He said as he activated his camo, fading away from view.  “/How long do you wish me to remain like this when they arrive?\” 

“/You’ll know when you hear it.\” 

He snorted softly as he moved off to the side and waited.  Before long, two humans entered the room.   One was pale skinned, with blue eyes and brown hair; the other was slightly darker in skin down with black hair and hazel eyes.  Both were wearing dark grey uniforms, similar to the ones the security teams he saw yesterday wore, but had more obvious armor plating. 

“/Captain Charles and Lieutenant Jose reporting as ordered, sir.\” The pale one said, both of them snapping to attention and saluting. 

“/At ease.\” The commander said.  Once the pair had done so, he continued.  “/As you both know, the Covenant have found something massive under the ruins of New Mombasa and are in the process of excavating it.  We are currently looking into all possible leads as to what that thing is and what the Covenant plan on using it for:  all we know is that it is obviously Forerunner in origin.\” 

 _Forerunner…,_ Zeno thought, remembering what the Oracle said about the humans being the reclaimers.  _So even here they left their gifts._   He still did not understand _why_ the humans were chosen and he doubted the humans knew either. 

“/Recently, a group of Brutes was seen searching through the remains of the resort city of Malindi, Kenya, north of New Mombasa.  What they are searching for is your mission: with luck it may give us more insight on what is going on at the excavation site.  You will be dropped off with a Warthog two miles west of the town.  Remaining undetected is paramount for this mission, so abandon the hog when you get close to the town itself.  If you are discovered before their objective becomes known, kill what Covenant you can as you retreat, but do not take any unnecessary risks.  Understood?\” 

“/Yes sir!\”  Both humans said. 

“/Any questions?\” 

“/Yes sir,\” the pale one, Charles, said.  “/It was my understanding that there were three of us assigned to this mission.\” 

“/You are correct, captain.\”  The commander then looked in Zeno’s direction. On cue, Zeno deactivated his camo, stepping forward as he did so. The eyes on both humans went wide.  “/This is Special Operations Zeno ‘Ribal, he will be joining you for this mission.\” 

“/I knew we were allied with the Elites now, but I wasn’t expecting to work with one so soon…\” the darker skinned, Jose, mumbled.  “/Not sure I like that.\” 

“/I assure you the feeling is quite mutual.\” Zeno said, folding his arms. 

“/You will be departing within the hour.  It will be night when you first arrive, so I would suggest equipping yourselves with VISR capable helmets.  You are dismissed.  Good luck.\”


	10. Malindi

Luke was gone by the time he and his ‘squad’ exited the commander’s office.  This meant he had to stick with his new teammates as they went to the armory to arm up.  Jose kept looking back at him on the way.  It quickly got annoying. 

“/I am not going to eat you human,\” Zeno quipped.  “/You would probably taste terrible anyway.\” 

The human’s eyes widened slightly at that. “/I’ve heard of Grunts and Jackals eating our dead, but…\” 

“/Sangheili consider the practice to be barbaric.  Cannot say the same for the Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Brutes, however.\” 

“/Then why did you....\” 

“/I do not suppose you humans are familiar with the concept of a ‘joke’?\” 

This time it was Charles that spoke.  “/We do.  But we never even considered the idea that you guys did.\” 

Zeno wasn’t surprised.  Their two species had been so busy killing each other that they only knew what was important about each other:  how to kill the other.  It would take years, even generations, before both sides were completely comfortable with each other.  If that was even possible to begin with:  Zeno was certain he was not the only Sangheili that bore deep grudges against the humans. At least in his case, he was slowly getting over it.  He could only speak for himself, however. 

At the armory, he watched as his teammates got full helmets, two weapons each with spare clips and a few grenades.  He was asked if he needed something with night vision capabilities:  Zeno told them it was standard with this armor.  They took him for his word. 

Next they went to the hanger, where their ride, a pelican, awaited them.  Only this pelican was a bit different than the ones Zeno was used to seeing.  The back end where the troops sat was extended and sitting in this extension was a warthog, only this one was missing its turret. 

“/No turret?  Aww man,\” Jose whined. 

“/This is a recon mission, not a ‘jump out and shoot everything in sight’ mission,\”  Charles reminded him. 

“/First mission in reconnaissance?\”  Zeno asked. 

“/Nah, but he always gripes when we can’t use the big guns.  I sometimes wonder if he was better suited to be a normal marine, or an ODST.\” 

 _Reminds me a bit of Justal._ Zeno thought, as they loaded up in the troop section of the pelican.  _I wonder how he is doing._   Lila had told him he was hurt badly while protecting the Gi’vea, but he was going to live.  Zeno didn’t know what kind of injuries he sustained, though.  If it was anything like Henun’s or Ne’zu’s, he doubted the proud warrior could handle it once the Gi’vea were through spoiling him. 

He pushed that line of thought out of his mind and focused on the task at hand, which was at this very moment trying to get comfortable in this tiny seat made for human rear ends.  By the time the pelican took off, he managed to get somewhat comfortable, though he was forced to stretch out his legs so his knees were not knocking against his face.  The comfort was short lived, however, once the pelican started entering Earth’s atmosphere, the turbulence making the ride a bit shaky. 

 _Give me a Phantom any day!_ Zeno thought, bemoaned his abused rear.  Fortunately, they didn’t encounter much more turbulence during the rest of the flight.  His next problem came though when they arrived and he tried to stand up, only to find his ass stuck in the seat. 

 _Oh gods above, why do you do this to me!?_   He thought with a growl as he tried pushing with his arms to free himself.  His troubles did not go unnoticed by the two humans. 

“/Need a hand?\” Charles asked.  Zeno could tell he was having hard time keeping a straight face. 

He really did not want to ask for their help in this embarrassing matter, but he knew the longer they forced the pelican to linger, the more likely their mission would be compromised before it even began.  So he swallowed his pride and accepted Charles outstretched hand, Jose taking his other.  Between the humans pulling on his arms, and Zeno pushing with his legs, they were able to free his backside from the seat. 

“/This will be one for the locker room,\” Jose chuckled as they doubled checked their equipment and unsecured the warthog. 

“/I would rather you did not tell anyone about it,\” Zeno grumbled.  “/My pride has suffered enough from it as is.\” 

“/Pfft, need to learn to take a bit of ribbing, split-lip.\” 

“/My _name_ is Zeno, human,\” Zeno growled. 

“/And I’m Jose, he is Charles.  Goes both ways, Elite.\” 

“/It is _San-gil-lee_.\” 

“/Enough you two, we’re wasting time,\” Charles snapped.  “/Jose, take shotgun.  Zeno, looks like the only comfortable place for you would be in the back.\” 

The back.  As Zeno looked at the back of the warthog, he was suddenly reminded of his tome on _Truy_.  Tied up and thrown into the back of a similar vehicle.  The humiliation.  The helplessness…. 

He shook his head, driving the memory out of his mind. 

“/Zeno, you alright?”\ Charles asked. 

“/I am fine.\” Zeno replied, climbing into the back of the vehicle at last.  “/Let us get moving.\” 

Zeno hung onto the chassis as the warthog came to life and drove off into the night.  It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lower light level, only to find that his natural night vision would not be sufficient on this planet and turned on his HUD’s night vision.  No matter how many planets he had been on, he could never get used to night time being this dark compared to the nights on Sanghelios. 

A few minutes into the journey, Zeno noticed a potential problem and asked for Charles to halt the vehicle. 

“/What is it, Zeno?\”  Charles asked. 

Zeno didn’t reply immediately, instead taking a moment to confirm his suspicions.  “/It would be highly advised if we approached the town from a different direction.\” 

“/Why?\” Jose asked. 

“/We are downwind,\” Zeno explained. 

“/So?\” 

Zeno snarled at the man’s ignorance.  “/Brutes track their prey by scent.  If we continue the way we are, they will detect us before we even enter the town, compromising our mission before it really begins.”\ 

“/It will cut into our mission time, but you do have a good point,\” Charles said as he turned the vehicle so they were crossing the wind instead of going with it.  

They traveled in this direction for about five minutes before starting to curve back toward the city itself.  In less than ten minutes, they were at the outskirts and abandoned the vehicle as instructed, leaving it concealed behind a large rock.  They approached the town proper cautiously, using cover when they could, while Zeno used his camo when cover was insufficient for one his size.  So far, everything looked quiet. 

The city had a number of high rise buildings, the majority of them being hotels and resorts.  If the wind had been blowing in the right direction, he would have smelled the ocean that the city bordered.  Many of the buildings had numerous holes in their walls, while some structures had entire walls blown away.  The place was also littered with forgotten vegetation, clothing and other belongings.  The humans that once lived and worked here had left in a hurry and this place afforded lots of places for someone to hide.  If anything besides them, the Brutes and the Brute’s minions still remained in this place that is, for the city was dead quiet, save for the occasional faint crashing of nearby waves. 

The first task was to find the Brutes, and after a couple of hours it was proving to be more tedious than Zeno thought it would be.  Brutes were not known for subtlety, or stealth, and Zeno thought surely they would have heard them by now.  _Then again, they did manage to catch me and Miko off guard on Delta Halo…_ , Zeno thought bitterly.  With that thought in mind, he started wondering if the Brutes, if they were still here, weren’t looking for some _thing_ but some _one_. 

Then the stench hit him.  Not the stench of a Brute, but of decay.  Thinking it could be clue, Zeno followed the scent, tracking it down to a partly collapsed building.  Aware of the two humans following, he went inside and immediately recoiled back on shock. 

It was the body of a fellow Sangheili, an Ultra by the color of his armor.  From the stench and amount of decay he appeared to have been dead for at least a week.  “Brother, what happened to you?”  Zeno said softly, kneeling by the corpse.  

There were spikes from a Brute spiker imbedded in several places in the armor, but the killing blow was a spike through the eye.  More disturbing was that a whole leg was missing and the other looked partly eaten:  more Brute handiwork if what he had been told about the Brutes habitual cannibalism was true. 

 “So it seems the Schism occurred even here,” Zeno said with a sigh.  He prayed for the warrior’s soul, wherever souls would go now that the Great Journey was said to be a lie. He then removed the data chip from the Ultra’s helmet. 

“/What did you find, Zeno?\” Charles asked when he rose to his feet. 

“/Here,\” Zeno said, tossing the chip to him. “/That may have some information on what the Covenant’s objective was here.  Considering how long that Sangheili has been dead though, it is likely information we already know.\” 

“/Still worth looking at when we return to base,\”  Charles said, putting it in an internal pocket.  “/Let’s keep going.\” 

“/Charles, how many other Sangheili bodies have been found?\” 

“/Dozens, hundreds even, especially in New Mombasa,\” the human replied. “/Those that were found after the carrier left looked to have been killed by their own forces.\” 

“/If that is so, then that means the Schism started almost the moment Regret retreated from this planet,\” Zeno said, surprised.  “/But that was before Truth started giving the Brutes more power….\” 

“/I am no expert amigo,\” Jose piped up.  “/But it sounds like this Truth guy was planning on kicking you guys out for a while.\” 

“/Yes…but why?  We were always loyal….\” 

“/Now is not the time to figure this out.  Brutes are still in this town, somewhere and we need to find out what they are up to.\” 

Zeno nodded in agreement. 

\-- 

It was another hour before they found fresh signs of the Brutes presence. To be specific, Zeno caught their scent on a passing breeze.  

“/They are upwind of us,\” Zeno said quietly, pointing in the direction the scent came from. 

“/How can you smell anything with no nostrils?\” Jose asked. 

“/How I do is not nearly as important as the fact that I _can_ ,\” Zeno snarled softly.  “/Let us go, before we lose the trail.\” 

They continued on, silently in the direction Zeno indicated.  Soon enough, they found their next sign:  a Kig-Yar corpse.  The creature had its neck snapped and looked to have been dead for no more than a few hours.  Zeno happily relieved it of its carbine and any spare clips, putting the weapon across his back.  Why the killer did not take the weapon himself…Zeno had no clue, but he was happy to have a distance weapon now.  Unfortunately the wind blew away any tracks that could clue them in on who killed the Kig-Yar:  for all they knew, an Unggoy killed it for looking at him wrong. 

Around the corner they found another body, this time of an Unggoy.  Like the Kig-yar, he had a broken neck.  Unlike the Kig-yar, whatever weapons the Unggoy had _were_ looted, including any grenades.  Looking around, he spotted a hole in the wall of the building opposite.  Sniffing the air, he detected a faint hint of smoke: that hole was made recently, likely immediately after both the Kig-yar and the Unggoy were killed. 

 _Someone else was here,_ Zeno thought, as he gestured to the humans to follow him.  _Whether or not he or she is still alive..._. Chances of that were slim, Zeno knew.  Brutes were relentless hunters, from what he heard: they didn’t give up until they found their prey or were killed. 

Stealth was imperative now that they felt they were getting close.  After only another half hour of travel they heard Brute voices.  Immediately, the group moved more cautiously, Zeno opting to rely on his camo instead of the various chunks of debris about.  In moments, they had a visual. 

There were three Brutes and two Unggoy, a much smaller group than they were expecting.  It was likely the group was dwindled down to this size by whomever killed the Kig-yar and Unggoy they found earlier.  Someone, it seemed, they had finally cornered. 

“We know you are in there!”  One of the Brutes taunted.  “You cannot escape us this time!” 

“You will join the others in our bellies!”  Another cried, Zeno noting this one had a Brute Shot. 

“Filthy coward!  Come out and face us!” 

“/Please tell me we didn’t trek through this place just to find a person that pissed these guys off….\” Jose grumbled under his breath.

“/That _person_ may have information,\” Charles scolded.  “/Zeno, what does it look like?\” 

“/Two Unggoy with plasma pistols.  Brutes have plasma rifles and a brute shot.\”  Zeno replied quietly. 

“/The Brutes will be the biggest headache.  Damn bastards are bullet sponges,\” Jose grumbled. 

“/Energy swords to the gut work quite well,\” Zeno pointed out. 

“/You have to get close first though,\”  Charles said, then he looked above them.  The building they were currently using as cover had a good chunk of its second floor wall destroyed.  “/Zeno, boost us up to the floor above us.  We can distract them from there.\” 

Zeno nodded, liking the idea.  Briefly, he turned off his camo and boosted both humans up to the second floor. Once they were both up, he reactivated his camo and silently stalked toward the Brutes, the hilts of his Kisans in his hands.  He didn’t have to wait long for the party to start. 

An Unggoy flopped over dead suddenly.  The other Unggoy screamed in panic before being silenced as well.  Alerted by the scream, all three Brutes turned around and started searching for their attackers. 

“More meat!”  One of them said excitedly when he spotted the humans on the floor above. 

“You!” The Brute with the Brute shot said to the Brute that had yet to speak. “Keep watch over our other prey and make sure it doesn’t slip away.  We’ll take care of the humans.” 

Zeno made for the Brute shot wielding Brute first, knowing that one would pose the most threat to the humans.  The wind must have shifted, for just before he struck, the Brute turned, a look of surprise on its face when he saw Zeno uncloak.  It didn’t matter, the next thing the Brute saw anyway was his Kisan’s igniting and slicing across his neck. The slice cleanly severed its head from its body. 

“Another one!” One of the surviving Brutes shouted, both immediately turning their plasma rifles on him.  

Zeno did not stick around, sprinting and rolling behind cover.  _Another one?_ He thought as his cover was pelted with plasma fire.  No time to ponder on it now though: there were two more Brutes to kill.  He heard the humans open fire then, forcing the Brutes to focus on them.  Zeno took this opportunity to rush the second Brute. 

The Brute saw him coming and Zeno was pelted with a few plasma bolts before slicing the Brute across the midriff, followed by a higher, deeper cut with the second blade across the chest.  The Brute fell, gurgling from ruptured lungs:  Zeno finished it by impaling it through the chest.  The last Brute’s shield was down, thanks to constant fire from the humans.  Then, it fell over dead, a bullet striking it between the eyes. 

“/Good shot.\” Zeno said, as the two humans jumped down and joined him. 

“/Thanks,\” Jose said, beaming.  “/Not easy to hit such a small target.\” 

It took a second, but Zeno got the joke and even chuckled a bit.  His mirth was short lived, however, as he turned his attention toward the building the Brutes had cornered their prey inside. 

“/Best see who is in there.\”  Zeno said softly, putting his swords away.  When the humans started to follow, he held up a hand toward them.  “/No, stay out here and make sure there are not any more Brutes around.\” 

“/You sure?  If the person is a human…,\”  Charles started to say but Zeno was already shaking his head. 

“/I have a feeling it is not a human.\” 

“/Suit yourself.  Holler if you need backup.\”

He nodded and approached the threshold of the building, his senses alert for signs of attack.  The interior was dark and dank, the dampness obscuring his sense of smell briefly.  Once it was attuned, however, he smelled what the Brutes no doubt did: Sangheili.  But he also smelled blood.  The Sangheili was wounded, possibly even dead.  Was he too late? 

Zeno searched the building, his hearts hammering in anticipation.  “Hello?” he called out, hoping for a response.  “The Brutes have been slain, brother.  Show yourself.” 

No response.  Then suddenly, there was movement out of the corner of his eye.  He turned around, only to find himself facing the business end of a plasma pistol.  Looking beyond that, he saw a living Sangheili.


	11. Trials

Zeno could not tell right away what rank this Sangheili was due to being restricted to night vision mode on his HUD.  He could, however, tell that this male had been through hell.  His armor was badly dented and scratched. There were even small chunks missing and the body suit had numerous holes and tears.  The warrior had numerous wounds, some old, some much more recent, but the greatest wound Zeno could tell was mental.  The man’s eyes were filled with a mix of desperation, exhaustion and anxiety and didn’t seem sure if he was a friend or foe. 

“Easy brother,” Zeno said softly, gently pushing the pistol away from his face.  “I am an ally.” 

The exhausted warrior blinked at him a few times, before releasing a heavy sigh of relief and relaxing his guard.  “Thank the gods…A friendly face,” he said. 

With the friend or foe issued resolved, Zeno took a chance and turned on his heat lamps, turning off his nightvision in the process.  He was a bit surprised to see that the Sangheili was a Zealot: a testament to his skill to have survived this long on his own.  “What happened here, brother?” he asked. 

“After we had set up an outpost, we got word to retreat,” the zealot explained.  “I do not know why.  On the way to the extraction point, the Prophet’s carrier jumped, standing us on this planet.  Then…Then the brutes lost their minds.” 

“Lost their minds?”  Zeno echoed. 

“They started attacking us, slaughtering our brothers.  Most of my squad was slain before we were able to start defending ourselves.  We managed to slay them before they wiped us out completely.” 

 _This just confirms what we figured out before._ Zeno thought grimly.  _But I still do not understand ‘why’…._  

“I…I had hoped that would be the end of it,” the Zealot continued.  “But I got word of the same happening with other squadrons that were left behind.  After that, we tried to regroup, only to be attacked by packs of brutes again and again. This was no moment of insanity caused by the Carrier’s slipspace jump…It was a rebellion!  When the following morning came, we thought we saw hope:  the arrival of more ships, but they only contained more Brutes that thirsted for our blood.”  There was a heavy sigh.  “We were forced to take shelter in the human dwellings, though they always found us.  One by one, we fell.  Each loss reducing our chances of survival and the likelihood of finding friendly forces:  if it was not the brutes shooting at us, it was what humans remained in this forsaken city.  In a half months time, I was the only one left…Until now….” 

The Zealot’s eyes were now sparkling with hope.  “How many are in your squad, SpecOps?  Who is your commander?” 

It was Zeno’s turn to sigh, knowing what he was about to say would crush the man’s spirit.  “There is only me, brother, and the Arbiter and two other’s elsewhere,” he said. 

“What?  That cannot be…Why so few of us?” 

“The last month has seen many changes, changes you will not want to hear…but….”  Zeno then proceeded to tell him of the prophet’s betrayal and the schism.  He also told him the true purpose of the rings and their new alliance with the humans.  Zeno was hoping that he would join them, to help them fight back against Truth and his lies and also to have a fellow Sangheili to speak to again.  But it was not to be. 

“A lie…Everything I fought for…Everything I believed…A lie….” The Zealot muttered, rising to his feet.  “All the deaths I have caused…All the honor and glory I have brought…For nothing…Worthless….” 

“It was a shock to us all, brother,” Zeno said, hoping to sooth him.  “But if we stay together, we can pull through this and redeem ourselves.” 

By now the zealot had wandered a short distance and his back was now too him.  “No…,” he said softly.  “There is no redemption.”  Before Zeno could stop him, he raised the plasma pistol to his head and fired. 

“No!”  Zeno cried, catching the body as it fell.  “No….” 

 _Why…,_ he thought as he lay the body down gently.  _Why waste your life when there were things you could have done still._   His mind flashed back to _Truy_ once more, to his own state of well being, both mentally and physically and how he volunteered to be captured, not caring if he died or not.  This zealot was not so different from him then, only this man’s will was worn down quicker due to constantly defending himself from the Brutes.  The truth of the Great Journey, the Prophets, everything, was too much for him. 

“Where ever you are, where ever you go, I hope you find peace, brother.”  Zeno said softly, positioning his body into one of honor before removing the data chip from his helmet. 

When he rose to his feet and turned to leave, he saw the two humans at the threshold.  “/What happened?\”  Charles asked. 

“/I told him the truth, but he could not handle it.  He took his own life,\” Zeno replied softly. 

“/Were you able to get any information about the Covenants activities?\” 

“/Directly, no…I never got a chance to ask.\”  Zeno held up the data chip.  “/If he did know anything, it would be in this.  As a zealot, he might have known more about the reasons for the initial attack on this planet, at least.\” 

Charles nodded and accepted it.  “/I think we are done here then,\” the human said.  “/Intel only stated one group of Brutes in this place and it looked like this zealot took care of most of them for us before we got here.  Let’s go back to the hog and call for extraction.\” 

Zeno nodded numbly in agreement. 

\-- 

_A couple of days later._

 

Zeno sat on the observation deck, staring out into the vastness of space.  He had been coming here lately in his free time, having found it to be a suitable place to be left alone.  Well, _mostly_ alone: he had his required bodyguard, whom was leaning against a wall a short distance away.  He had an ODST this time: Mickey, he believed he heard another call him.  Other humans came here as well, but they kept their distance.  Zeno mostly didn’t care, who came and went, so long as they didn’t pester him. 

While he was here he would think.  Think about what his people should do now that the Great Journey was a lie.  What _he_ should do.  _How many more of my people will simply kill themselves once they learn the Journey is a lie?_ He asked himself.  _Or when revenge is no longer enough? Will there be those that will cling to the idea of the Great Journey still?_  So far the answers to his questions were eluding him.  _What am **I** to do…once this war is over?  Miko…You told me to live, but what do I have to live for?_  

“/Hey, um…Elite?\”  His human guard suddenly spoke up. 

“/I have a _name_ , human,\”  Zeno growled, looking over his shoulder at the man. 

“/Right…Just got word that the commander wanted to speak to you.\” 

“/New mission?\” 

“/Don’t know.  Was just told you needed to go see him.\” 

Zeno sighed, rose to his feet and started heading that way, his guard following.  He hoped it was a new mission: he hadn’t been sent on one since the first and he was getting stir crazy.  As he walked, he couldn’t help but notice there was an unusual number of security agents walking around, all armed with heavier weapons than normal.  Was something wrong?  Was the station preparing itself for an impending attack? 

He got his first clue when he stepped into the commander’s office, the guard following him in, which was unusual itself.  The second was the faint, almost invisible glow of a force field around the commander himself.  The additional guards in the room itself were another indicator and all of this was a very bad sign.  Zeno immediately started to tense: had something happened to the alliance between their people? 

“/Ah, Zeno you are here,\” the commander said before he could announce himself.  “/There is something important we need to discuss.\” 

“/Obviously.\” Zeno said, as calmly as he could.  /”Considering the unusual number of guards and the force field around your person.\” 

“/So you noticed.\” 

“/I am recon: it is my _job_ to notice.  What is going on, commander?  Has the alliance been broken?\” 

“/No, but there are possible loose ends that could cause it to break.\” 

“/Such as?\” 

“/You.\” 

Zeno was taken back a bit by that.  “/As I informed you the day I arrived, commander, I am under explicit orders not to harm any humans without good reason.\” 

“/This is not about the present, Zeno, but your past,\” the commander clarified.  “/Were you ever on _Truy V_ \” 

He immediately got where this was going.  “/Yes, about eight years ago.\”  Zeno replied honestly, realizing that this was an interrogation, one that he might not walk away from intact depending on what this human was looking for. 

“/What was your mission there?\” 

“/Initially, I was part of a squad scouting the planet.  Then I was left behind to die by my superior, whom… _disliked_ certain aspects of my character.\” 

“/You were stranded?\” 

“/Correct. From that point on my main focus was simply to survive.\” 

“/Did you come upon any of our bases?\” 

“/One, but I kept my distance.\” 

“/Did you observe this base for any length of time?\” 

“/Only out of curiosity and for possible intel to give to any Sangheili that came upon me.\” 

“/What did you observe?\” 

“/I determined it was largely a typical base, with most of the structures typical of a base. I did observe troops bringing in Covenant equipment they had scavenged a couple of times.\” 

“/Only equipment?\” 

“/Correct.\” 

“/Anything else?\” 

Zeno sighed as he said. “/After roughly a month, I noticed human tracks close to where I was camping.  Being unarmed and weak, I moved away, hoping to avoid them, but they succeeded in ambushing me anyway.  I fought as hard as I could, but they succeeded in rendering me unconscious.\” 

The commander looked quite interested now.  “/What happened then?\” 

“/When I regained consciousness I found I had been rescued by a squad of Special Operations.  They were there to secure a Forerunner relic that was in the base I had observed before.\” 

“/ _Just_ a Forerunner relic?\” 

“/Correct.\” 

“/Go on.\” 

“/I gave them what information I could about the base and it was determined it was too well fortified to assault with the numbers they had.\” 

“/How many were in the squad?\” 

Zeno did a quick count.  “/Including myself, six.\”  When the commander nodded in acknowledgment, he continued.  “/We also did not know where the relic would be precisely.  I pointed out that the base could be a research facility, based on the scavenging operations I observed.  With that in mind, plus the fact that human squad knocked me out rather than killing me outright, I volunteered to allow myself to be captured, figuring I would be taken to the same location as the relic.\” 

“/What happened then?\” 

“/I set myself up on a patrol trail, with another member of the squad close by in case the patrol decided to finish me off instead.  Fortunately, they took me in to the base instead.  From there I was taken to an underground laboratory,\” he cringed and shuddered as he recounted the next part.  “/Paralyzed via drugs, stripped of my equipment and strapped to a table like an animal. I was examined, blood stolen and force fed.  At one point the humans in the room had to leave and I was able to free myself.  I found the relic in a closet, along with armor, weapons and other Covenant equipment.  After rearming myself, I secured the relic and started making my way back out.  However, due to my weakened state, side effects from the drugs and a negative reaction from whatever food it was they gave me, I was not in good shape.  If it was not for the SpecOps squad causing a distraction, I would not have made it out of that place.\” 

“/There was nothing else you noticed, possibly even overheard during your ‘stay’ there?\” 

“/The female that was examining me seemed quite interested in how my body functioned.  Why, I do not know, or did I care: my only concern then was the relic and my escape.  As for overhearing, I overheard plenty, but did not understand a word of it due to not having access to the translation software in my armor.  I may understand your tongue fluently now, but it has been too long to trust my memory to recall the words accurately.\” 

The commander nodded and seemed to go into a state of deep thought.  Zeno eyed the guards around the room, noticing they were just as tense as he was.  How many could he take out before he fell, should it come to it?  Considering he only had his swords and the number of them, he’d be lucky to take out more than one by his estimation.  Even if by some miracle he did make it out of the room, he’d have to contend with the rest of the base after that.  No, his death would be certain.  

 _Am I about to join you, Miko?_ He thought, his hands inching toward the hilts of his swords. 

“/Stand down,\” the commander suddenly said.  “/This elite is of no threat to us, or the alliance.\” 

Just like that, the tension in the room was gone, much to Zeno’s relief.  “/So you judge me to not be a ‘loose end’,\” he said.  

“/Correct.\” 

“/Was what I might have known that much of a threat?\” 

“/As I mentioned before, in war, no side is truly innocent.  In times of desperation, we often commit things that would cause an outcry with the public, should it become public knowledge.  Considering how your culture is heavily based in honor, if your kind found out some of the things we were attempting to do, even if it was years ago, it may shatter the alliance.  Your people’s sudden ousting from the Covenant and subsequent allegiance to us, was an unexpected boon we cannot afford to lose.\” 

“/You would be all but extinct, if things had turned out differently.\” 

“/We may all still end up extinct; human, Elite and Covenant alike, if Truth’s plans are not stopped.\” 

Zeno couldn’t help but agree with that statement. 

\-- 

After that meeting, Zeno found that not only did he have his own room now, but that the guard requirement was removed.  He still wasn’t allowed in certain areas of the station, but Zeno was grateful for the greater freedom nonetheless. For some reason though, his new room made him feel much lonelier:  he shook it off as being too used to sharing a room with someone. 

The next day he got a new mission, only this time it wasn’t for reconnaissance.  The Covenant were attacking a city on a continent the humans called ‘Australia’ and he was tasked with assisting marines in evacuating any remaining citizens.  The citizens were understandably wary of Zeno’s presence:  years of hearing the Sangheili were responsible for the slaughter of billions would not be forgotten easily.  For that reason, Zeno focused mainly on keeping watch for Covenant forces bearing down on their position. 

Even in this role though, he found the task gut wrenching.  None of these humans they were evacuating were warriors.  Women, children, the elderly and otherwise non-combat capable:  he had seen Brutes in the distance attack and kill them without hesitation.  _Where is the honor in killing those that cannot fight back?_   He realized, seeing the monsters his own people had been.  _There was no honor in what we did…And the Brutes seemed to have no concept of honor at all._  

“/OK, that should be the last of them from this sector,\” a marine shouted to him.  “/Let’s get out of here!\” 

Zeno was about to comply and head for the transport, when a sound on the wind caught his attention.  Crying, it sounded like crying.  He tilted his head, this way and that, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.  After a moment he was able to pinpoint it to a five story building across the street. 

“/Hold on!\” He shouted to the others, pointing to the building. “/Someone is still in that building.\” 

“/That building looks like it is about to collapse!\” the same marine replied.  “/There is no way we can find them in time!\” 

“/I am going to try anyway.\” Zeno growled as he sprinted toward the building. 

It was ironic: not so long ago, he wouldn’t have even thought about pulling a stunt like this.  However, spending the time he had with Luke and other human had opened his eyes and his mind.  Humans were not so different from his own kind: they laughed, cried, felt pain, loved, comforted, and felt rage just like he did.  While some things he may never forgive them for, he understood now that they had a right to exist like everyone else. 

The building had a number of holes in it from Covenant bombardment.  Inside, it was dusty and there was the smell of smoke from recent fires.  Shattered and broken furniture was everywhere, hindering Zeno’s progress:  being unfamiliar with civilian human buildings didn’t help any.  Zeno had to rely on his hearing to determine where the individual that was trapped in here was.  Neither the first floor, nor the second and third revealed the person’s location.  Fourth floor however, the crying was a lot louder and clearer.  He was close.  After a moment, the sound of the building starting to crack under the strain of the damage it sustained warning him that he didn’t much time, he found who he was looking for. 

It was a child, frightened and alone.  The mother was buried and crushed to death under fallen debris.  By the gods, the child looked no older then he did when he lost his own mother to a much similar fate.  He remembered the terror, the darkness…. 

Zeno shook his head, shaking the vague memory out of his mind.  He stepped toward the child, speaking softly to it, but the child screeched, seeing him no doubt as a monster.  There was no time to calm the child down, as he even now he felt the floor beneath his feet start to weaken.  So he simply grabbed he child, his ears ringing from the child’s resulting scream.   As he turned to head for the stairs down, part of the ceiling collapsed, blocking the door way out. 

“Oh, blood….” He swore as he started looking for another way out.  Zeno moved to where a window _used_ to be and looked down.  Nope, no way he would survive that jump without breaking a leg or two, if not kill him outright.  Just as he was going turn to look for another way, he spied a cable of some sort attached to the outside wall.  Following visually, he saw it was attached to a building across the street.  _Maybe I can use this to swing down._ He thought. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to really think it through.  The building was starting to collapse around him and under him.  With one hand securing the kid, he jumped for and grabbed the cable with the other.  The cable somehow was able to hold his weight, until the collapsing building severed it behind him, sending both him and the child swinging quickly toward the other building.  Thinking quickly, he managed to swing himself around so his back collided with the oncoming buildings wall, rather than sandwich the child between himself and the building. 

The impact knocked more than the breath out of him; it knocked him senseless.  He vaguely recalled bouncing off the wall and onto the pavement below, somehow avoiding landing on the kid.  Zeno barely comprehended a couple of marines running up to him; he believed one of them called him a ‘crazy fool’.  The kid was taken from him and he was helped up and guided toward the transport.  After he was in said transport, he blacked out.


	12. Wars End

There was a lot of white when he came too, blinding white, that is. 

“Ugh…,” he moaned, raising a hand to shield his eyes.  “Why is it so bright in here?” 

“/You’re in the infirmary that’s why,\” a familiar voice replied. 

It took a moment for Zeno’s brain to translate.  “/Infirmary!?\” he exclaimed, bolting upright.  That was a mistake, for he almost immediately felt light headed and dizzy.  “Ugh…Shouldn’t have done that….”  Zeno groaned, laying back down again, covering his face.  He heard someone giggling.  Once the dizzy spell passed he looked over to see Luke by his bedside.  “/That wasn’t funny.\” he grumbled.  “/And why am I in here anyway?\” 

“/Because of that stunt you pulled, that’s why,\” Luke replied.  “/It’s standard procedure to check someone into the infirm when they knock themselves silly like that.  You’re lucky you only got a very minor concussion:  a human would have ended up with broken bones or worse.  Your armor on the other hand, didn’t fare so well.\” 

“/My…,\” Zeno yanked the bed sheets away and to his dismay confirmed his fear.  Not only was his armor taken of his person, but so was his bodysuit.  The only thing on him was some strange gown that only covered his front: a sick idea of a joke in his opinion.  “/Why was my armor removed?\” 

“/Standard procedure.  Usually they only remove enough to see the area they need to treat, but in your case it was easier just to strip you completely.\” 

“Ugh….”  Despite his efforts, it would seem yet more humans had managed to see him completely nude.  “/Just what did those doctors do to me?\” he growled. 

“/Just a couple of x-rays, that’s it.  I did have a heck of a time convincing them to not give you an IV, knowing your thing about blood loss out of combat.\” 

“/And how long will I be stuck here?\” 

“/You should be released today.\” 

“/Good! The sooner I am out of this place the better!\”  Zeno snarled.  After he had calmed down a moment, he remembered something.  “/The child I saved….\” 

“/She is with surviving relatives,\” Luke replied.  “/Had a few bumps and bruises from your less than stellar landing, but she’ll be fine.\” 

“/Good to hear.  Pity I could not save her mother as well.\” 

“/I am certain the mother would have been grateful you saved her child, regardless of her own life.  Mother’s can be willing to give up their own lives for their children.\” 

“/Yes…,\” Zeno said softly, the vague memory of his own mother’s death rising to the surface.  “/Yes, indeed.\”  There was a moment of silence before Zeno realized something else.  “/Am I still on Earth or back on the station?\” 

“/On Earth,\” Luke replied.  “/We are in a smaller city that the Covenant hasn’t hit yet.  Command has made this a kind of staging area for all the evacuees. I was sent here to help with the logistics part of it.  Oh…And about your armor….\” 

“/What about it?\” 

“/It was too badly messed up for our techs here to fix, so they sent it ahead back to the station for our…um… _specialist_ to fix it.\” 

Zeno blinked, slightly confused.  “/Understandable, I guess, but at least I will have the bodysuit.\” 

“/Actually…That was accidentally sent back with the armor.\” 

“/ _What!?_ \”  Zeno cried.  “/What the hell am I going to wear when I am released from here!? I am _not_ going to walk around in this ridiculous thing with my ass on display to all!\” 

“/Don’t worry!  I was able to scrounge up some extra large clothing that should fit you.\” 

“/Human clothing…,\ Zeno felt mildly disgusted.  “/I somehow doubt it will fit me.\” 

“/Well I brought a couple of different sets in various sizes, to be on the safe side.\” 

“/For your sake, you better hope a pair of pants fit me at least.\” 

\-- 

Zeno was released from the hospital a few hours later.  True to his word, Luke did indeed have a few sets of human style clothing for him to try on.  Pants ended up being the easy part, Zeno finding a pair that fit him quickly and it was also somewhat comfortable.  Shirts on the other hand were another matter entirely.  Because of his kinds naturally broad shoulders and huge chest, most of the shirts he couldn’t even get past his shoulders and those that he could, felt too tight around the chest.  The last thing he tried on was some kind of vest and it fit decently enough that Zeno decided to go with it. 

“/Are all your people like that?\” Luke asked as Zeno made is way out of the hospital. 

“/Like what? Broad shouldered?\”  Zeno asked. 

“/No, counter shaded.\” 

“/Counter what?\” 

“/Paler on the front than the rest of you, skin tone wise.\” 

“/Oh!  No.  Our skin tone and patterns are largely dependent on where our ancestry hails from.\” 

“/Ah, similar with humans.  Darker skin in hotter, tropical climates, while white skins are from more temperate and cold ones.\” 

“/Hmph. I hardly consider your ‘hot’ climates to be hot at all.  More like lukewarm.\” 

“/And why is that?\” 

“/Our homeworld has three suns.\” 

“/Oh yeah, you mentioned that before…That would explain it.  Guess that means you do not know what ‘cold’ really is.\” 

It took a moment for Zeno to convert Sangheili temperature terms and numbers to the human version.  “/Coldest average temperature is 23 degrees Fahrenheit\” 

“/Oh please…, that is nothing.  Remind me to take you to the Dakotas sometime.  In winter, it can reach negative 40.\” 

“/What?\”  Zeno looked at him, shocked.  “/How can anything live in such a place?\” 

“/Layers and layers of clothing,\” Luke replied.  “/And that’s not the coldest place on Earth:  the poles are usually even colder.\” 

Zeno shivered subconsciously.  “/I think I will just take your word for it.\” 

\-- 

As the days passed, Zeno became completely comfortable with working with humans.  He even started pulling some pranks, though he understandably had to really think it through before going through with it.  Many humans may have had a sense of humor, but with the alliance still so new, he didn’t want to accidentally break it due to a human misinterpreting a joke.  Despite his concerns, his pranking actually helped relax many that were still wary of him and his people:  Zeno proved to them that not all Sangheili were stuck up snobs that looked down their snouts at them. 

However, when wasn’t working or fooling around with his human allies, Zeno often sat brooding on the observation deck.  Despite all the humans around, he felt lonely, hollow even.  Zeno badly wanted to believe that it was just because there were no other Sangheili with him on the station, but deep in his hearts he knew the real reason.  He missed Miko.  However, he didn’t dare weep for him here: having the humans see him as a lighthearted prankster was one thing, but allowing them to see him as an emotional wreck was quite another.  His pride wouldn’t stand for it. 

Fortunately, things started to heat up.  Truth, whom had been taking his sweet time, finally landed on Earth.  The humans last remaining demon, or Spartan as the they called them, had been recovered shortly after:  how the man survived such a long drop was nothing short of a miracle.  Just when things were starting to look up for the humans however, things started taking a turn for the worst. 

First, Truth’s forces attacked Crows Next, one of their few remaining bases, forcing them to retreat.  They left a present for the Covenant in the form of a self destruct sequence and from what Zeno heard, most of the human forces there were able to evacuate before the base went up, including the Arbiter and the two other Sangheili with him. 

Then the humans did a daring strike upon the Forerunner dreadnaught, hoping to destroy it before Truth activated whatever it was it had attached itself to:  the current belief was that it was the device that could remotely activate all the Halo rings.  However, the strike didn’t seem to even scratch the ship and the Forerunner device activated, opening a massive portal into the sky.  Where it led, no one knew for sure, but it was through this portal Truth and his forces retreated into. 

Shortly after, before human and Sangheili alike could gather their wits about them completely, a new threat arrived.  A cruiser, infected with the Flood, arrived from slipspace and crash landed.  Knowing firsthand what the Flood were capable of, Zeno feared for the lives of the humans on the surface, along with the lives of his fellow Sangheili.  He badly wanted to go down there and help fight the infection, but he was stuck up here on the station. 

Then finally some good news.  The _Shadow of Intent_ , along with nine cruisers, arrived and started glassing the immediate area of the crashed cruiser. Shortly before that, they were able to recover an item of importance from the cruiser itself.  What it was, Zeno was not told.  It was a center of discussion later aboard the assault carrier, between Rtas, Lord Hood, Miranda, the Spartan, the Arbiter and the Oracle.  A meeting Zeno was not invited to, much to Zeno’s dismay: he badly wanted to be among his own again. 

To make matters worse, it was decided they would follow Truth through the portal, but Zeno was ordered to stay behind and assist the humans in any clean up.  With the Arbiter, N’tho and Usze joining Rtas in this new mission, Zeno was truly the only Sangheili on Earth.  Zeno could not help but feel abandoned. 

He tried to keep himself busy, but there was surprisingly little for him to do.  Truth had taken most of his forces with him and what number of those forces remained around the portal was glassed along with the Flood.  Covenant forces that remained elsewhere were quickly being hunted down and eliminated.  ONI was starting to investigate the portal artifact, but Zeno wasn’t permitted to assist, not even to be a guard.  So he was left largely bored and frustrated.  He was also worried sick about his friends on the _Shadow of Intent_ :  who knows what they ended up going up against on the other side of the portal. 

Then, at last, signs of the result of the distant battle started coming in.  First was a couple of the cruisers that had gone with the _Shadow of Intent_ , only they did not stick around long, jumping to slipspace almost immediately once they were through the portal.  They had to be on some errand of importance to leave so quickly without even leaving so much as a brief message on how the battle was going. 

A short time later, the _Shadow of Intent_ itself returned.  It was hard to miss the hole that was punched through from top to bottom on the right side of the ship:  something big had hit it and Zeno wondered if he had lost any more of his friends.  The wait for word on the battle was painstaking not only for himself, but the leadership of humanity.  

Zeno immediately felt relieved when the voice of Rtas came over the comm systems:  his commander had survived.  He listened as Rtas gave the humans an update on the battle.  The portal had lead to the Ark, where Truth had hoped to activate all the Halo rings.  The prophets fleet had been quickly decimated, while ground forces hunted for the prophet himself.  They found him in the citadel, where he could activate all the rings at once.  Before they could assault the citadel however, the Flood arrived, riding upon the once holy city of _High Charity_ : it was a piece of debris from the city that had damaged the _Shadow of Intent_.  

They had ignored the Flood, at least long enough to stop Truth: Miranda lost her life delaying Truth long enough for the Arbiter and his allies to reach him.  It came to a bit of surprise to everyone to learn that the Ark was what manufactured the rings and that a replacement for the one the Spartan destroyed was being built.  To eliminate the Flood, the Spartan had decided to light this new ring, though he had to retrieve his AI from the Floodified _High Charity_ to get the key needed to do so.  The last thing Rtas knew, was that the Arbiter and the Spartan had succeeded in this mission and where were en route to the ring’s control room. 

The wait for the result of that mission wasn’t long. 

The portal had started to look unstable.  Just before it collapsed, a human ship came through.  Well, at least half of it.  This fact horrified many, including Zeno, as rescue crews rushed to the part of the ship that had crashed into a body of water.  After some tense moments, they did find some survivors: the Arbiter, N’tho Sraom, and Usze ‘Taham.  There was no sign of the Spartan, or his AI and it was immediately assumed, with confirmation from the Arbiter, that they had to have been in the part of the ship that was cut off.  The Arbiter also confirmed the loss of Sergeant Johnson, whom was slain by the Oracle when it went rampant at the last moment, forcing the Spartan to destroy it before they could activate the ring. 

The losses for both species have been heavy and costly, but the battle had been won.  The Human-Covenant war was over. 

\-- 

The next several weeks Zeno spent assisting the Arbiter in formulating a peace treaty between themselves and the humans.  More like a _ceasefire_ , actually, considering the Arbiter could not make any promises in regards to the Covenant remnant, or even their own species.  With their religion proven to be false, there would no doubt be a lot of turmoil back home.  Some, like the Arbiter and Zeno himself, would try to find their own path, while others would likely cling to the old one stubbornly.  

The two mentalities would no doubt lead to conflict on their home soil.  When, no one knew, but the Arbiter felt confident that as long as they had the Covenant remnant, particularly the Brutes, to fight, a civil war was not likely to happen.  Zeno had a feeling though that eventually, their people would run out of Covenant forces to fight and differences in opinion would start bloody conflicts all across Sanghelios.  For now however, Zeno had other concerns, namely preparing himself for the trip back to the homeworld:  whether or not Sanghelios was intact was no doubt on most Sangheili minds. 

“/Hard to believe it is over,\”  Luke said. 

“/On your end of things, yes.\” Zeno said, as he stuffed the last of his few belongings in a bag.  “/My people will still be fighting for some time.\” 

“/I fail to see why,\” the human said with a shrug. “/All the Hierarchs are dead.  The Rings have been silenced with the Ark disabled if not completely destroyed.  The Flood eradicated….\” 

“/The rest of the prophets and their Brute puppets are still out there, spreading their lies about your kind and the Journey.  Not to mention the attempted genocide of my people.  They must be punished, all of them.\” 

“/Revenge hardly ever resolves anything.  If anything, it just causes more problems down the road.\” 

Zeno snorted softly.  “/Revenge so far has worked out quite well in my case,\” he muttered. 

“/I fear you will find out the hard way otherwise, Zeno.  Regardless though, I wish you luck.\” The human stuck out a hand.  Zeno needed a moment to remember what the gesture meant, before clasping his own hand around the humans much smaller one.  “/Take care of yourself, Zeno.  It has been interesting.\” 

“/Likewise, Luke.  I just wish we had learned the truth sooner, more of your lives could have been saved.\” 

“/Some things can’t be helped.  I just hope my people don’t hold it against you forever.\” 

“/The same.  It would be a shame if the war between our peoples was ignited again because some faction just could not let go and forgive.\” 

“/There is a lot of healing to be done on both sides, healing that only time and patience can mend.\”  Luke said softly with a sigh.  “/Anyway, you best get going now, or else we’ll just keep going back and forth like this and you’ll miss your flight.\” 

Zeno chuckled at that.  “/Indeed.  Take care of yourself, Luke.  And good luck.\” 

As Zeno walked away from Luke for what was likely the last time, he felt strange.  Was it sorrow for leaving someone he had only just started to consider a friend?  Anxiety of rejoining his fellow Sangheili for the trip home, with the unknown state of their homeworld?  Perhaps even dread?  He couldn’t quite put his finger on what he was feeling, but it didn’t matter. 

It was time to go home.


	13. Unwelcome

“Zeno,” Rtas said as Zeno reported in.  “Welcome back.” 

“It is good to be back, commander,” Zeno said, saluting him.  “No more cramped living spaces and inadequate washing facilities.” 

“I am surprised you did not mention ‘working with heathen humans’.” 

“To be honest, commander, I have learned a lot while working with humans,” Zeno confessed.  “They are not so different from us, once you forget the prophet’s lies and your own personal grudges.” 

“A lesson I hope the rest of our people will learn.  Far too many still hold the humans in contempt. The same holds true for the humans themselves:  many were still wary of us and for good reason.” 

“Indeed.  Time, patience and understanding will be needed on both sides if relations are to improve.” 

Rtas rumbled an agreement.  “Come, Zeno, let us get you settled in. You will be sharing a room with Henun until we get to Sanghelios.” 

“Henun…How is he?  Could his arm be saved?” 

Rtas shook his head.  “They finally got around to amputating it a couple of weeks ago.  He is not happy about it.” 

“Blood….”  Zeno breathed.  A part of him wondered if a human medic would have been able to save Henun’s arm.  From what Luke had told him of their advances in medical technology, he felt fairly certain they could have, if Henun would have allowed a human medic near him to begin with. 

“I know you two got along well,” Rtas continued. “So I am hoping your presence will lighten his spirits.” 

“I will certainly try.” 

Rtas gave him the location and pass code to the room and sent him on his way.  Zeno went to his new quarters with a bit of anticipation.  Would Henun be happy to see him…Or would he want nothing to do with anyone?  Major surgery like what Henun went through was enough to make even the most humble Sangheili irritable and snappy. 

He got his answer the moment he opened the door. 

“Go away!”  a familiar voice growled. 

The room was dark, so Zeno couldn’t pinpoint where Henun was at first, until he reached over and activated the lights.  The room was a mess, no doubt the result of a frustrated, cranky one-armed Sangheili.  Henun himself was on one of the beds, mostly nude save for a pair of underwear and medical bandages.  He was laying on his left side, his back to him and despite it being covered with bandages Zeno could tell the removal of his right arm was a sloppy job. 

“Ugh!  Turn off the bloody lights and leave!”  Henun growled, curling into a ball.  “I do not want anyone else in here!” 

“Not even a friend?”  Zeno said calmly, stepping in fully. 

Henun froze a moment, and then looked over his shoulder at him.  His eyes widened in surprise and relief.  “ Zeno!” he said, rolling over and standing up, his mood immediately lighter.  “You are back!” 

“Aye,” Zeno said, setting his bag on the spare bed. “I am bunking with you until we get to Sanghelios.” 

“Thank the gods for that.  I would not have been able to stand it if it had been someone that looked down upon me as cripple.” 

“You are not a cripple, Henun.  You still have one good arm, both legs and all your senses intact.” 

“Yeah, but my time as a warrior is done,” Henun said sadly.  “My other career as well if I cannot get used to doing it with my left hand.” 

“I am sure things will work out for you.  How is your…Stump?” 

Henun growled as he replied.  “Blasted medics did a sloppy job.  Bad enough that I had to lose part of my person and my honor, but to have to deal with sloppy handiwork and the pain afterward….” 

“It still hurts?” 

“Not as often as it used to, thank the gods.  However, it is really unnerving to feel pain in an area where there is no _arm_.” 

“Ah, the humans call that _phantom limb syndrome_.  They say that is not uncommon for an amputee’s body to still think it has a limb there on occasion.” 

“Do they happen to know a cure for it?”  Zeno shook his head.  “Damn.  Guess I will have to live with it then.  Well, enough about me:  how was your time with the humans?” 

“Besides the cramped living conditions and a few weird customs, they are not so different from us.” 

“Tell me about them.” 

So Zeno did.  They discussed what Zeno had learned about humans throughout the journey home, both finding the topic a welcome distraction from their own hurts.  Henun, the loss of his arm and Zeno, the loss of Miko.  Granted, the loss of an arm was a lot harder to ignore than the loss of a loved one and Zeno found himself helping Henun adjust to having only one arm.  The experience strengthened their friendship. 

Zeno also found out that Ne’zu, the young major he protected on the _Faithful Guardian_ , was back on full duty.  Either the young male’s disability was not nearly as bad as initially thought, or he found a way to hide it.  Considering Ne’zu was only seen walking around in an assault helmet now and wasn’t very keen on socializing, Zeno strongly suspected it was the latter. 

Besides that however, the journey home was quiet, with everyone worried about the state of the homeworld, despite the Arbiter’s confidence that it was safe.  Suspense and even a bit of tension started to build the closer they got to arriving at Sanghelios.  When they finally dropped out of slipspace in the Sanghelios system, everyone breathed a sigh of relief:  Sanghelios was whole and the home fleet intact.  

The Arbiter quickly identified their ship and their intent, knowing the homefleet would be on alert for likely hostile ships.  After they were established as friend, the majority of the crew were given leave to visit the surface while the ship docked at the shipyard for finish repairing damage that was unable to be fixed back in the Sol system.  For some though, returning to their keeps or not was not an choice they got to make. 

“Zeno, can you help me get this on?”  Henun asked as he struggled to pull on his bodysuit.  Pulling on the bodysuit was a two handed job and going by the slight purple color to his cheeks, Henun was either embarrassed, or frustrated, that he couldn’t do it on his own any more. 

“Sure,”  Zeno said as he stepped over and helped his friend with this task.  “You know, you can probably get away with not wearing it at all.” 

“I know, but I want to show my keep the pride I have in wearing this armor, even if it will be the last time I ever wear it.” 

“Fair enough.” 

After the bodysuit, Zeno help put the armor pieces on.  The right arm of the bodysuit just hanging empty looked unsightly, so they tucked it in under the back torso plate.  They obviously couldn’t do the same with the right shoulder and forearm pieces, so Henun just put them in his bag. 

“So, what will you be doing, Zeno?” Henun asked as he packed the rest of his belongings.  He had apparently noticed that Zeno wasn’t doing any packing at all. 

“I felt it would be best if I stayed on the ship, help the commander out with overseeing the rest of the repairs,” Zeno replied.  “After that, I do not know: I just know I would not be welcome in my own keep.” 

“Well, you are welcome to stay in mine if you would like,” Henun said with a smile.  “We are far more open minded on many things.” 

Zeno smiled in turn, touched by the offer.  “I may take you up on your offer one day, Henun.  For now though, I think you need the opportunity to get resettled yourself before I come knocking on your door.” 

“Heh, a valid point.”  Then suddenly, Henun embraced him, the best he could with one arm anyway. 

Zeno staggered back in shock, this show of affection taking him completely by surprise.  “Hen-Henun!?” 

“Thank you,” Henun whispered softly, pulling away after a moment.  “For being there for me during this difficult time.”  He absently rubbed his stump.  “I…I do not know if I would have been strong enough to make it through this alone.  At least, not strong enough to pull through with my sanity intact.” 

Zeno nodded.  “Just, take care of yourself, OK?”  He said once the shock wore off.  “And if anyone calls you a cripple, punch them in the face.” 

Henun giggled softly.  “I may just do that.  Take care yourself, Zeno.  Do not be a stranger.” 

Zeno watched him go and almost immediately the loneliness came rushing back.  He sighed, heavily, realizing that during that whole time he was helping Henun cope with his loss of an arm, he had forgotten about his own needs.  Zeno had yet to really cope with his own loss and now he wondered if he had lost an opportunity to get help with it…. 

\-- 

For the next week or so, Zeno assisted Rtas in ensuring the _Shadow of Intent_ was 100% repaired.  He even became the highest ranked Sangheili on the ship for a couple of days at one point, when Rtas went to the surface to assist the Arbiter with a ‘personal’ matter.  It was a nice change of pace, being the boss for once: the increased responsibility helped keep his mind off Miko. 

Once the ship was fully repaired and the crew returned, they went hunting.  Hunting for those that still followed the prophet’s lies.  Zeno worked on the bridge itself most of the time, fulfilling a communications and sensor role.  He was also sent ground side a few times with a small squad to confirm Covenant encampments.  His blades tasted the blood of plenty of Brutes during those engagements. 

After about a year though, the fact that he had yet to truly grieve for Miko was starting to cause problems mentally.  It started with Zeno thinking he kept seeing Miko in the hallways out of the corner of his eye, but every time he would turn to look, there would be nothing.  Then he started thinking he heard Miko calling his name, only again to see nothing.  Zeno believed he was being haunted by Miko’s ghost, but for what reason he did not know.  He brought it up to Rtas at one point, but his commander just firmly stated that there were no such things as ghosts and that it was in his head. 

Zeno was alone, no one believing him that he was seeing and hearing these things.  People were starting to wonder if he was crazy.  Hell, _he_ was starting to think he was going crazy.  Something had to be done, before it got to the point where people started to suggest he be detained for insanity.  Maybe, just maybe, if he did something like visit Miko’s keep and tell them of his accomplishments, Miko’s ghost would leave him alone. 

So when he heard that the next mission involved scouting for new habitable planets for the humans, he saw his chance.  Zeno requested to sit this mission out, to go on an extended shore leave.  Rtas agreed, stating that Zeno had been long overdue for leave anyway and that he hoped it would help his mental state.  First place Zeno went was the capital, both to set himself up with a small apartment for future use and to get himself some new civilian clothes.  Once that was done, he arranged for transport to the State of Kemot. 

On the way there, Zeno felt rather anxious.  Beyond that it was in a colder region of Sanghelios, he knew nothing about the keep, so he was going in pretty much blind.  Of course Zeno had no intention of telling anyone there that he and Miko had been lovers: that was just asking for trouble.  Still, that Miko never talked about his keep worried him a bit.  Zeno had told him loads about his own keep, but why hadn’t Miko done the same with his own?  The lack of knowledge bothered him enough that he opted to take his kisans with him:  if there was one thing he learned, it was to trust his instincts. 

 _Looks fairly normal,_ he thought has he stepped off the transport.  However, Zeno knew from experience with his own keep that just because it _looked_ normal doesn’t mean it was.  Then again, what was truly considered _normal_ anyway?  He imagined most keeps had their own quirks and traditions.  The biggest problem he realized right off was that most Sangheili here reminded him of Miko:  the lighter skin tone with mottled patterns appeared to be very common here.  _Focus on finding the local **mirki**_ **,** he told himself.  

 _Mirki_ , the keeper of the dead.  A position not many Sangheili relish, but was important to keep track of those who had died, including how they died.  Usually this information was sent in a message by a surviving superior of the individual, whom would include honorable acts in their final moments if applicable.  Zeno did not know if Rtas been able to send Miko’s eulogy or not yet, due to the chaos of the Schism: so many had perished.  If he hadn’t, Zeno intended to give it himself. 

Finding the _mirki_ proved easy enough and the residents so far were friendly and welcoming.  That wouldn’t last long, however…. 

Zeno stepped into the office, noting immediately the officials looked quite busy.  It took a moment for one to notice him.  “Hello, sir,” an elder male said.  “How can I help you?” 

“I wish to see if a eulogy has been sent in for a brother that has fallen during the Schsim,” Zeno said softly, feeling the weight of Miko’s death heavily on his hearts.  “If one has not been sent, I wish to give one.” 

“The Schism…,” the man said with a heavy sigh.  “I doubt any keep mirki has gotten much rest since it started.  Curse those prophets.  What is the warrior’s name?” 

“Miko Kemotee,” Zeno replied.  “He was a member of the Special Operations Reconnaissance Unit.” 

The official had started to write it down, but froze.  In an instant, every worker in the room was glaring at Zeno.  Zeno felt his chest tighten with the feeling that something was very wrong. 

“We do not recognize anyone by that name in this keep,” the man said, coldly. 

Zeno didn’t want to believe what he just heard.  That wasn’t a ‘sorry, we do not have a Sangheili by that name in our records’, which Zeno may have understood and worked to rectify.  No, this was a downright refusal to acknowledge Miko even _existed_.  “Th-that cannot be right…,”  Zeno started. 

“No, it is,” the official said with a snarl.  “We do not recognize any Sangheili that are _vileu_ semos.” 

That comment hit Zeno hard and once the shock started to wear off, rage started to build.  “Miko was not a _vileu!_ ”  he snapped hotly.  “He fought honorably in many battles!  Brought glory to your keep!” 

“A semo can bring neither honor or glory.  That that filth continued to even use his name drags our keeps reputation through the mud.” 

“No, it is your bigotry that is soiling your keeps reputation.”  At that Zeno turned and stomped away, not wanting to even look at the hateful man any more. 

Once outside, Zeno paced a bit, trying to calm himself down.  Surely that man was alone in that point of view.  Yet, a part of him doubted it, considering the looks we was getting from the rest of the office.  That encounter was as bad as anything Yuteri pulled on him.  No, it was worse.  To deny that a Sangheili existed, to deny they were even capable of living in honor…Yuteri at least acknowledged that much. 

“You should not have said that.” 

Zeno startled at the voice and turned to see an older female, standing the darkness of an alley.  Funny, didn’t he see her in the building just moments before?  Before he could question what she meant however, she added.  “By saying what you did, you implied you were like him and with that, the longer you stay here in this state, the greater the threat to your life becomes.” 

“You mean….” 

“The males here consider semos to be a taint on the bloodline:  they exile many, sterilize others and some they just kill outright.  Not even ones visiting from other keeps are protected, as your friend found out the hard way, many years ago.” 

Zeno got immediately what she meant.  “They killed…,” he started, only to halt when she nodded.  His mind was now reeling.  Now he knew why Miko never wanted to talk about his first lovers death, or about his keep, but why…Why did he not at least warn him to never come here? 

“They planned to sterilize and exile your friend after they killed his lover, but he escaped before they could officially do so,” the female continued.  “Still, his name was stricken from the records, no longer was he to be recognized as a member of this keep.” 

That at least explained why Miko got away with using his name: he didn’t stick around to find out he was technically nameless!  “Who are you…Why are you telling me this?” Zeno asked. 

“Because I fear someday my keep will kill the wrong person and bring the wrath of a stronger keep down upon our heads.  Plus, I knew your friend…He did not deserve that fate, none of those like him did.  I…I have lingered out here long enough:  they will start to suspect I am talking to you if I delay much longer.” 

“Do not get yourself in trouble on my account,” Zeno said softly.  “Thank you for the warning.” 

“You best leave now, but keep your guard up,” the female said as she turned and started to walk away.  “You never know when the guards may ambush you….” 

Zeno nodded and started to walk quickly back to the transport station.  Glancing around, the residents still acted like everything was normal, though the place no longer felt welcoming to him.  As he got closer to the transport hub, he noticed people were starting to look at him oddly and there seemed to be more armored warriors about.  He knew he was running out of time when he saw a resident point to him while speaking to one such warrior and the warrior gave him a stone cold look.  It didn’t pass Zeno’s notice that that warrior, along with one other, started to follow him. 

 _Gods, that lady was not kidding,_ Zeno thought with a snarl.  _But these bastards do not know who they are dealing with!_   He ducked into the next alley and quickly activated his camo, thankful he decided to wear his armor for this trip.  Zeno stood still as the two warriors looked in the alley and cautiously started to search it, weapons drawn.  The moment they were close enough, Zeno grabbed them by the heads and smashed them together. 

 _Sorry, boys, but I do not feel like being killed for a crime that should not even be one,_ Zeno thought bitterly as the two warriors collapsed, unconscious.  He left the alley, keeping his camo activated, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself.  It won’t be long before those two woke up, or were found by someone, so the sooner he got on a transport and left this state, the better.  

The transport hub was in sight, but in order to do anything further he had to drop his camo.  So he stepped into another alley to do so and did his best to walk back out naturally.  Unfortunately, they had guards at the gates and they recognized him immediately. 

“Sir, you are not permitted to enter,” one of them said.  

“And why is that?”  Zeno asked, as calmly as he could.  

“You are wanted for questioning.” 

Zeno suspected that if he was brought in now, he would never see daylight again.  “Questioning?  On what grounds? I have committed no crime, nor was I witness to one.” 

“Do not argue,” the guard growled.  “You are to come with me.” 

“You have no grounds to do anything to me,” Zeno snarled, his fingers inches away from the hilts of his swords.  “If you have questions about my character, I suggest you take it up with Special Operations Commander and Shipmaster Rtas ‘Vadumee.  You can even go as far up as the Arbiter if you insist.” 

The guard’s throat muscles visibly tightened at the mention of those two names.  The other guard, after a long moment, finally spoke up.  “Best to let this one go, Von.” 

“But…if he is a…,” the first guard, Von, started to protest. 

“If this one truly works for the Arbiter himself, we cannot risk the Arbiter’s wrath,” the other snapped. 

“It disgusts me with the very thought the noble Arbiter would work alongside a suspected semo,”  Von snarled as he stepped aside. 

“Maybe the Arbiter knows how to judge someone on their full character, not just one aspect,” Zeno snarled back at him as he walked by. 

Von grumbled something, but Zeno didn’t catch it: it was likely some derogatory remark anyway.  With a big sigh of relief, he boarded the first transport, and told the driver to take him to the capital. 

He had never even imagined that he would feel so happy to leave the keep his lover once called home….


	14. Henun

Zeno spent the next few days in his apartment, trying to come to grips with what had happened at the Kemot keep.  The crippled, the diseased and the mentally unstable he could see being culled outright, but semos?  _There is nothing wrong with us,_ Zeno thought as he paced in the living room.  _We are productive members of society, capable of feats of honor._  

Not even his own keep went so far as to kill his kind outright.  Well, there was Ley, but Zeno felt Ley had reasons besides him being a semo for trying to kill him that one day.  Zeno could not imagine the fear semos felt in the Kemot keep, if the knowledge was wide spread that is.  How many of them found out the hard way?  Miko certainly did…. 

 _Miko…Why?_ Zeno thought with a sigh. _Why did you not tell me?_ He knew Miko had to have had his reasons, but still, he felt a bit betrayed by how his lover never told him about this.  It was a new wound in an already badly wounded heart. 

A couple more days passed before Zeno realized that he needed someone to talk to.  While he could go out and mingle with the populous on the streets, it wasn’t the same.  Then he remembered Henun and his offer.  Doubt creeped into his mind:  his experience at the Kemot keep was still very fresh in his mind.  Zeno knew that Henun was accepting of him and of what he was, but what of the rest of his keep?  Henun did say they were a lot more open minded, but were they open enough?  _I will not find out staying here,_ Zeno decided, finally moving to a console to start making arrangements to travel to the Fiter keep. 

\-- 

Zeno’s anxiety was even greater this time around, as the transport landed in the State of Fiter. He couldn’t help but wonder if he made a mistake in coming here in civilian clothing, his kisans tucked away in his bag.  _Have some faith,_ he told himself.  _Henun would not lie to you._   With a deep breath, he set off to try to find out where Henun lived. 

He had got some general directions on from an individual working at an information display, but since the system had been down at that time, the man could not give him an exact location.  Zeno thanked him anyway and headed off in that direction.  He figured he could ask the neighborhood residents once he got there. 

So far, the Fiter keep seemed to be just like any other keep, if a little more colorful on the décor.  However, as his recent run in with the Kemot keep revealed to him, a keep may look nice, peaceful and pleasant on the surface, only to have a ton of ugliness underneath.  Zeno intended to keep his guard up this time, just in case.  When he reached the general area he was told about, he started to worry:  he didn’t see anyone out on the streets. 

“Sir?”  a voice called out to him.  Zeno paused and looked to see an older male, one he somehow did not notice before, whom was standing next to an impressive mural.  “You look lost,” the man continued.  “Can I help you with something?” 

Zeno hesitated, remembering the last time he asked about someone.  _I am being paranoid,_ he told himself, remembering that the first person he asked didn’t’ give any indication Henun was shunned by his keep like Miko was.  “I am looking for a member of your keep, a former Special Operations warrior, Henun is his name.”  He said, after a brief moment, bracing himself for any negative response anyway. 

The man visibly thought a moment.  “Ah! Yes, the younger man that returned from duty about a year ago.  He lives in the residence a short distance down this street.” He pointed down the street.  “Second house from the end of the street, on the left if I remember correctly.  Are you a friend of his?” 

“Yes, we were in the same unit.” 

“Ah, I am sure he would appreciate the company.  Poor lad, he felt rather down that he has to relearn how to do his trade.  His mother being overbearing probably does not help any….” 

“His…mother?”  Zeno’s eyes widened in slight surprise. 

“Only staying with her out of convenience, until he gets back on his feet, or so I heard.  I would not be surprised if he thinks he made a mistake in doing so…In fact, I think he was preparing to move out to his own place very soon, so you came at the right time.” 

“You certainly seem to know a bit about his personal life.” 

“He was one of the best at his trade before he left for the military, a mandatory thing here for males, yet he was not arrogant about it.  When he returned sans his right arm, we all felt the pain of loss for his talent, so it is only natural we are concerned about his well being.  A lesser man would have killed himself, but so far he seems to be holding strong.”  He blinked and then chuckled. “Listen to me blabbing on when I should be working.  I should let you take your leave to visit your friend.” 

Zeno nodded respectfully.  “Thank you for your information, sir.”  As he turned to continue down the street, he noticed for the first time the paint splattered upon the man’s clothing and the pots of paint on the ground by the wall.  This man was a painter. _Well, someone has to do it…_ He thought.  Artists were not highly looked upon in their culture, though in Zeno’s case his time with the humans taught him to appreciate them a bit more than most.  Still, he found it hard to believe that any Sangheili would _willingly_ do something like that. 

He reached the house the painter directed him after a short walk.  For a moment he just stood there, staring at the door, feeling a bit of anxiety.  Was this the right house?  Would Henun really be happy to see him?  With a heavy sigh, he forced himself to knock. 

“Oh for the love of….Who is it!?”  Came a familiar, if annoyed sounding, voice from behind the door.  Henun must have been getting disturbed a lot lately, from the sound of his voice. 

“A friend from recon,” Zeno replied.  “Zeno ‘Ribal.” 

There was silence, and then he heard a rush of footfalls heading toward the door.  A moment later the door opened, revealing a familiar and very relieved face.  Henun was wearing a grey shawl over his frame, which was covered in stains and was long enough that if Zeno hadn’t known ahead of time, he would not have noticed that he was missing an arm at first.  “Zeno!”  Henun said cheerfully.  “Come in, please!” 

He smiled as stepped through the threshold, glad that Henun was happy to see him.  “I see you are holding up, Henun.” 

The cheerful expression was replaced by annoyance as Henun replied.  “I would be even better if people would bloody leave me alone.  Never lose a limb in this keep, Zeno, otherwise people start treating you like you are a toddler again.” 

“I can see how that can get annoying very fast,” Zeno said as he set his bag down on a nearby chair. 

“I see you finally decided to take me up on my offer.” 

“The _Shadow of Intent_ is off on a planetary scouting mission, I figured I would take the opportunity to get some leave in, as they will not likely need my talents.”  Zeno explained as he sat down.  “I did get my own little place in the capital, but…I guess you could say I was getting stir crazy.” 

“You never did seem the type that could sit still for very long,” Henun said with a grin. 

Zeno chuckled softly.  “How is your stump?  Any better?” 

Henun flipped the shawl up to reveal said stump.  The sloppiness of the job done on it was still evident, but it at least looked like it was fully healed.  “Still aches from time to time, but nothing serious,” Henun said, flipping the shawl back down.  “Physical wounds are easy to mend, however, unlike mental ones.  How are you holding up, Zeno?.” His friend’s expression was one of regret.  “I was so wrapped up in my own pain that I had forgotten you had your own pain to deal with….” 

Zeno grunted, turning his head away as tears began to well up in his eyes.  “He…He is haunting me, Henun,” Zeno said softly.  “I started thinking I saw him in the hallways of the ship, or heard him calling for me.  I was starting to question my sanity.” 

“Ah, thus the _other_ reason you took shore leave.” 

Zeno nodded numbly.  “I thought I could get some closure and maybe pacify his spirit if I went to his keep, but….” 

“Things did not go well?” 

When Zeno spoke again, both his tears and voice were hot in anger.  “The Kemots are a bunch of bigots, Henun.  They refused to acknowledge he even existed!  A female there warned me that they were not afraid to kill people like me, if not exile and sterilize them instead:  Miko’s first lover was one of their victims.  I was even stalked on the way out by warriors with the obvious intent to do me harm and I had to invoke my connection to the commander and the Arbiter for a couple others to even let me get on a damn transport!” 

Henun looked stunned and it took him a moment to respond.  “That explains…Why Miko was not very keen on talking about his keep, or the circumstances behind his first partner’s death.” 

Zeno nodded slowly.  “The only thing I do not understand is why he did not tell me this…I thought there were no secrets between us…I cannot help but feel a bit betrayed that he did not warn me about this.” 

“He probably had his reasons, reasons that died with him,” Henun said softly.  “I am certain though, that if he had known you would have gone to his keep that he would have warned against it.” 

“I would hope so….” 

“Besides that though, have you been keeping busy?” 

“Busy as can be, when I am on the _Shadow of Intent_ at least _._   Eventually though, the remnants of the Covenant will be lessened to the point where my talents are no longer needed.” 

“What will you do, once that happens?” 

“I do not know.” 

“You could always join the security force:  someone with your experience in intelligence may be useful in detective work.  I am considering it myself, once I am fully accustomed to doing everything with my left hand.” 

“Still not fully adjusted then?” 

“I probably would be by now if my mother did not keep insisting on helping me with almost everything,” Henun grumbled.  “It is a surprise she does not try to help me paint….” 

Wait…you are a painter?”  Zeno’s eyes widened in surprise. 

Henun nodded, a smile on his face as he stood. “Come, I will show you.” 

Zeno followed Henun to adjoining room of considerable size.  Adorning the walls were hung paintings depicting Sangheili in various fighting poses.  The style was very simple compared to what he had seen of the humans work, but impressive none the less.  

“Most of what you see in here is from before I joined the military,” Henun explained, a note of sorrow in his voice.  “And those are just pieces I did for fun and practice.  As you can see….”  Henun pointed and Zeno looked at a canvas currently on the easel. The painting in progress was much less than impressive.  Lines were shaky, color fills passed the lines: it looked horrid.  “I still have a way to go before I return to that level of skill” 

“Yes…I see,” Zeno acknowledged, not wanting to insult his friend and comrade. 

“I guess I could consider myself lucky,” Henun said with a sigh. 

“Lucky?” 

“Yeah, that I am a painter and not something else like a sculptor that requires both hands.” 

“A good point.” 

“Still rather disheartening though, some days I wonder why I should even bother.” 

“If you keep at it, Henun, you _will_ reach the level you were once at, maybe even surpass it.” 

“Please….” 

“I am serious.  If you have the will, you can do anything.  Hell, I was told that there were humans in the past that lost both arms and still painted.” 

“What?  How….” 

“They held the brush with their mouth, or their feet.” 

“I am afraid my mouth and feet are not suitable for holding a brush….” 

“True, but my point still stands.” 

“Perhaps…heh, humans are such interesting creatures.  You tempt me to go visit their planet some day to see what kind of artwork they have.” 

“Someday you should, once the trade agreements are finalized.” 

“I will certainly keep in mind, thanks for the….” 

“ _Henun I am home!_ ”  a voice suddenly called out. 

“Oh gods…Mother is home,” Henun groaned.  “I wonder how many ‘potential wives’ she found for me this time….” 

“What?”  Zeno said, a bit confused.  “You were in the SpecOps, like me and thus an aristocrat:  you can’t marry….” 

“Yeah, but mother has it in her head that a good woman on my arm would be good for me, one that would not just use me as a sperm donor.”  He sighed, and then added.  “I have yet to tell her that I feel more emotional attachment to fellow males then to females.” 

This came as another surprise to Zeno.  “You are a semo?” 

“Not entirely sure yet,” Henun admitted.  “I think I am more of a _sebo_ than semo.” 

“Henun?  Where are you?  Are you in the studio?”  His mother called out. 

“Yes, mother!” Henun called back. 

“Should we change the subject?”  Zeno asked. 

“Nah, she knows this is my ‘leave me alone’ spot.  She will not come in here unless I ask her to.” 

Zeno nodded, understanding. “So, how long have you suspected?” 

At that question Henun blushed faintly.  “Since you joined the SpecOps, to be honest.  I did not dare to admit it then though, for obvious reasons.” 

“Right…Juwi.  Guess that was another reason you finally decided to see about getting a different partner.” 

“Aye. I knew I was likely to slip up eventually and with how he was getting toward you and Miko.  I did not want to end up in his cross-hairs.” 

“Fortunately for you, he kind of took himself out of the picture didn’t he?” 

“With some help from you, if I guessed correctly.”  Henun smirked faintly, to which Zeno just grinned.  “You sure you do not have some artist in you, Zeno?  Some of those designs you carved on him were quite interesting….” 

Zeno chuckled.  “Spur of the moment thing, I assure you.  I was not putting any real thought into it at all.” 

“Considering how angry you had to be then, that is understandable.  Come.”  Henun patted him on the shoulder.  “Best introduce you to mother so she knows she needs to prepare an extra plate for meal times.  Oh…How long were you thinking of staying?” 

“Not sure,” Zeno admitted.  “Until the _Shadow of Intent_ returns at the most.” 

Henun simply nodded as he and Zeno walked back into the living room, where an older female, Henun’s mother, was inspecting Zeno’s back.  “Mother, you know it is rude to snoop,”  Henuns said teasingly. 

“Ah!”  The elder female said.  “Do not startle me like that, Henun!   You nearly gave this old female a heart attack.” 

“I would have thought you would have gotten used to my stealthy ways, mother.” 

“Humph! My senses are not what they used to be, boy.”  The start of her likely tirade was halted when she spotted Zeno.  “And who is this young man?” 

“This is Zeno ‘Ribal, a comrade from my unit,” Henun replied.  “He will be staying with us for a while.” 

“Ah! A house guest!? Why did you not warn me?  Oh, gods, the house….”  The women started looking about, shame on her face. 

“He could not warn you if he did not know himself,” Zeno said with a slight smirk. 

“Aye, he surprised even me, mother,” Henun confirmed. 

“Pfft, shame on him then for not at least dropping a hint!” She wagged her finger at him.  “Now excuse me I need to freshen up the guest room…make sure we have enough dinner for three…Oh my goodness! So much to do!” 

“Are all mother’s like that?”  Zeno said, chuckling as they watched the woman rush off, muttering to herself. 

“As far as I know. Why?  Did you not know your mother?” Henun asked. 

“No…She died in an accident when I was but a toddler,” Zeno said with a sigh.  “Sometimes I wonder if my life would have turned out differently if she had survived.” 

“Who knows, Zeno.  I sometimes wonder if bad things happen to ensure we go down a certain path in life.” 

“That sounds a lot like ‘fate’, Henun.” 

Henun shrugged.  “Aye, but we can only speculate how things might have been, never know for certain.” 

“Indeed….” 

\-- 

The following week Henun moved to a place of his own.  Zeno was surprised at the amount of support Henun got with the move:  a number of neighbors came by to help out.  He could tell though that this bothered Henun: the hit on his independence had to be hard on him. 

Zeno helped him when he could, but made it a point to only help when Henun asked for it.  Some man have consider it cruel, but Zeno knew that Henun had to learn his new limitations and figure out compromises and adaptations for things he could no longer do ‘normally’.  Zeno did help him out in this area though, the pair brainstorming on possible solutions.  For some things though, Henun was forced to accept, often bitterly, that he could never do again without someone’s help. 

As for Zeno himself, he once again focused more on Henun’s needs than his own.  When Henun would ask him about it, he found himself changing the subject at first opportunity.  A part of him knew that this dodging the issue would come back to bite him in the end.  When it did, he wasn’t the one that got hurt. 

Zeno started to realize it when Henun started to be more affectionate toward him, a few months later.  Nothing major, just little things: a warm smile here, a gentle touch there.  Still it bothered Zeno, as it was stirring feelings Zeno hadn’t felt since before Miko’s death.  Feelings he wasn’t sure were genuine affection or a simple desire to be comforted. 

It was too soon.  Fear gripped his hearts.  Fear of committing to another and risking losing him.  Fear that he would be betraying Miko’s memory if he did anyway.  It was becoming too much to bear.  Yet, he found himself unable to tell Henun to back off, to give him space, or otherwise removing himself from this difficult and confusing situation.  He cared about Henun, though he did not know by how much, and he did not want to hurt him. 

Then, one day, things just fell apart. 

One day, Zeno was looking out a window, thinking, when Henun came up beside him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.  Startled by this increased display of affection, Zeno brushed off his arm.  Henun looked surprised and even a bit hurt by the reaction. 

“What is wrong, Zeno?” he asked. 

“N-nothing…,” Zeno replied, afraid to admit the turmoil now in his mind.  “You startled me, that is all.” 

“No, something is on your mind.” Henun turned him around.  “Talk to me.” 

“I would rather not….” 

“Zeno, do not think for a moment I have not noticed you avoiding dealing with Miko’s death.  You cannot keep that buried forever.”  When Zeno just grunted and looked away, Henun continued.  “I care about you, Zeno, I want to help you.  You helped me so much with my issues… Please, please let me return the favor.” 

“I…I cannot…” 

“Why?” 

“I…I am not ready….” 

“For what, Zeno?  To move on?  You _need_ to move on, Zeno, for both your physical and mental health.” 

Tears in his eyes, Zeno moved away, turning his back to Henun.  “Leave me be…,” he said softly. 

“Zeno…,” he heard Henun say softly.  “I just want to help you…I…I love you….” 

Zeno turned toward him, his eyes wide.  He felt that desire again and with it the fear came ten-fold.  _No…No I can’t,_ he thought, backing away.  _I cannot betray you Miko…._

Henun must have seen the fear in his eyes.  “Zeno…Why are you….?” 

“I’m sorry!”  Zeno cried, before bolting out of the house.  Henun’s cries faded away quickly as he ran and he continued running until he reached the transport hub.  There he got a transport back to the Capital, carrying himself away from the one man that could have helped him. 

He took with him nothing but the clothes on his back and the weight of grief and guilt on his hearts.


	15. Memorial

Zeno spent the next few days isolated in his apartment, feeling absolutely horrible.  Not only had he ran away like an honorless coward, but he had little doubt that he hurt one of the few friends he had.  Henun did not deserve what he had done to him and now Zeno feared he had done irreparable damage to their friendship. 

Yet, he could not bring himself to go back, not even to retrieve his things.  Fear kept him in place.  Would Henun forgive him?  Or would he hate him forever?  Zeno was too afraid to go find out. 

One day, about a week after leaving Henun’s residence so abruptly, Zeno retrieved a package. 

It was from Henun and Zeno cautiously opened it, a part of him fearing a bomb or something as some kind of retribution for his cowardice.  To his relief, it was just his swords, which he had left behind with his other things.  There was a note with them:

 

“ _Zeno, you left your things here.  I figured you would like your swords back at least._

_Henun ‘Fiter”_

 

Reading emotion in text was difficult, but Zeno could imagine Henun’s sorrow and pain while writing this note.  He wondered how much more Henun wanted to say.  Probably a lot.  Zeno was half surprised Henun didn’t come here personally to give them back:  maybe he didn’t want to alienate Zeno more.  Or give him the wrong impression.  There was no way of knowing his reasons, unless Zeno asked Henun himself.  Yet he couldn’t bring himself to respond to the note. 

Not even to say thanks. 

\-- 

A couple of weeks later, the _Shadow of Intent_ returned.  When Zeno reported back in to the ship, he found out a lot apparently had happened on the mission.  In addition to the Covenant remnant, there was now a ship of Sangheili that wanted to restart the war between the Sangheili and the humans.  The Arbiter was nearly killed by one of their operatives when they stopped at Earth for a visit in fact.  

Zeno had noted the Arbiter seemed to be of lighter spirits overall now as well.  The man had been getting steadily more and more grumpy and depressed prior to the mission, Zeno noticed.  He also had a new ‘pet’, whom quickly corrected him on that ‘assessment’ by speaking.  What kind of strange world did this ‘Vl’asuna’ come from where four legged creatures could talk? 

Regardless, Zeno was happy to be working again.  He spent the next few months trying to dig up leads on where the _Righteous Justice_ , the rogue Sangheili ship, was hiding, along with intel on any large groups of Covenant that may still be in operation.  Eventually, he was promoted to sub-commander. 

Zeno welcomed the new responsibility gladly, seeing it as a further means to distract himself from his pains.  He threw himself into training the new additions to the SpecOps, quickly earning a reputation as a fair but stern leader.  However, while Zeno was able to keep up appearances out in public, privately, he was starting to fall apart once more. 

Now, in addition to thinking he was hearing and seeing Miko while walking through the ship’s corridors, he was starting to see Miko’s face on his fellow Sangheili.  A few times, he thought he saw Henun’s face instead.  He tried to ignore it, but the grief and the guilt he felt whenever it occurred was heavy, weighting him down and starting to affect his performance.  Worse, his commander, Rtas, was starting to become increasingly distracted by something himself.  Zeno did not want to burden his commander, whom he recognized was going through some kind of trouble himself.  Yet he had to do something. 

Then, a year after rejoining the crew of the _Shadow of Intent_ , Zeno heard of an opening on Earth for additional Sangheili liaisons.  He jumped at the chance, feeling getting away from Sangheili society would keep the voices from haunting him, the faces from taunting him.  Rtas did question his reasons and when Zeno gave it, simply nodded and told him he would be missed.  Perhaps he was too distracted by his own problems to question him further on it. 

Regardless of the reasons Rtas seemed to not care about Zeno’s problems, Zeno found himself stationed on the Cairo a short week later.  The MAC station by now was nearly fully repaired, but had been converted into a sort of memorial and ambassadorial site.  Zeno immediately settled in and started to reacquaint himself with human behavior.  

Zeno spent any free time he had studying human culture, past and present.  Even better, Luke still was around, though the human could not visit him very often, due his job at ONI. When he did, Zeno happily debated with him on human and Sangheili cultural differences.  One such discussion, would set Zeno on a road that would be considered rather controversial, even heresy, to his fellow Sangheili. 

They were on the surface, in a place the humans called ‘Florida’.  It was a nice, warm place, though the bugs were annoying.  While they were at one of the many beaches, Zeno decided to ask a question that had been nagging at him for a while now. 

“Luke.” Zeno started as he carefully leaned on a wooden fence:  he had broken a couple by accident already. 

“Hmm?”  Luke replied, obviously enjoying the warm sun here. 

“I have noticed some of your kind with markings on their skin, not scars or birth marks, but something else.  I thought at first it was a style of transparent clothing they were wearing, but…” 

“Ah, you must mean tattoos.” 

Zeno raised an eye ridge.  “Tattoos?” 

The human nodded.  “It’s a form of body modification.  The one applying it uses needles to inject special kind of ink into the skin.  This ink can be designed to disappear after a time or when subjected to a low powered laser, but usually it is meant to be permanent.” 

Zeno felt a little pale at the thought of purposely injecting a foreign substance into his hide.  “For what purpose would you do such a thing?” 

“To commemorate a person or event and to show their dedication to a specific cause are two of the most common reasons.  Some do it simply because they like the look of them.  There are really all sorts of reasons people have them done.  Due to the war, a lot of people have been getting them to remember loved ones.” 

“I fail to understand the last one,” Zeno said.  “Would not a memento, one of the lost’s belongings suffice?” 

“Physical possessions can be damaged and lost.  With all the glassing you guys did, there usually wasn’t anything _left_ to remember someone by.  A tattoo is always with you, can’t be lost or destroyed…at least not without a lot of bodily harm.” 

“I…see.”  Zeno had nothing of Miko’s as a keepsake, but he was not certain he could go as far as defiling his own body to remember him. 

“Still,” Luke said, continuing.  “Getting a tattoo is not something to do recklessly.  Some people find out the hard way they are allergic to the ink, for instance.  Other’s don’t have the pain tolerance for it.  And yet other’s regret getting it at some point down the road.  The last one is the reason why most parlors that often them ask if you are really sure you want the design on your person for the rest of your life.  So it is a good idea to do your research first.” 

“You speak as if you think I am considering getting such a thing done.” 

Luke blushed.  “Eh heh, sorry.  I imagine you guys, with your ‘blood is honor’ deal, would consider getting a tattoo a horrible thing.” 

“Indeed.” 

“Sorry for making such an assumption, Zeno.” 

“No worries.  You just started off on a tangent like you usually do.” 

“Yeah that’s for… _hey!_ ”  The human punched him in the arm, only to shake his hand in pain.  “Ow…man, I don’t think they could tattoo the likes of you anyway, you’re as hard as a rock….” 

“All muscle.”  Zeno flexed his arms. 

“Bloody show off….”

He chuckled at that. 

\--- 

Over the next few days, Zeno’s mind kept going back to the concept of tattooing.  While his Sangheili pride and honor made the very idea seem wrong, his desire for closure with Miko’s death had him seriously considering it.  There were a couple of problems though with going through with it. 

One was what kind of tattoo to get.  Luke had told him later that the possibilities were only limited by the imagination.  The second was whether or not the chemicals in the ink would agree with his Sangheili biology, if the needle could penetrate his skin to begin with. 

He resolved the first problem easily enough, when he remembered something: the burn scars.  The scars that were the result of an attempt on his life many years ago, the scars that ultimately led to the sealing of their relationship.  The tattoo he was considering to get would mimic that, to honor his memory.  As for the other issues, the only way to solve them was to go to a tattoo parlor itself.  So the next time he had a chance to go to the surface, he sought one out. 

Luke had warned him, during another tangent on the subject, that people wishing to get a tattoo had to be careful.  Not all tattoo artists were honest:  such individuals were largely either not certified by health officials, or just were sleazy individuals in general.  ‘Trust your instincts’ he had said and Zeno had already passed up a number of parlors where he just didn’t get a good _vibe_ from.  Finally, he found a parlor that looked like may work for him. 

The parlor, like other’s he checked out, was covered wall to wall with photos of various humans displaying their tattoos, likely former clients of this particular parlor.  On the counter were a few consoles labeled ‘design database’:  Zeno assumed these held all the possible designs they could do, which had to be near infinite, if Luke’s statements about the design possibilities were true.  Beyond the counter he saw a padded reclining chair and a few other types of seats.  On tables and trays next to those had to be the instruments used to apply the tattoos themselves, along with a large device he assumed to be the machine used to sterilize the equipment. 

Out of a room in the back came a large human male, wearing a black shirt and a pair of jeans.  He had a small beard with shoulder length hair and tattoos going down both arms.  When he saw Zeno, he said.  “Weapon shop is next door on the right.”  Apparently, more than one Sangheili came in here by mistake, but Zeno would be the first to say otherwise. 

“I am not looking for weapons,” he said calmly.  “I am interested in getting a tattoo.” 

The man blinked, as if not sure he believed what he was hearing.  “Are you serious?” 

“I am.” 

“Well now…I…,” the man scratched the back of his head.  “I am not sure I can.” 

“Why not?” 

“Well, never heard of an Elite getting inked before and to be frank, there is a chance the equipment can’t handle it.” 

“How so?”  Zeno knew some of the reasons already, but he wanted to hear it from the man himself.  To test him. 

The man sighed.  “Do you know what getting a tattoo involves?” 

“Injecting ink into the skin with needles.” 

“That is a very basic description you have been given, though largely correct.  The ink needs to be injected into a certain layer of skin, specifically the dermis.  The needles I use are designed for human skin and, no offense, I have no idea how your skin is compared to ours.  Plus,” He looked Zeno up and down.  “You look fairly dark in skin tone and the darker someone’s skin tone is the harder it is for tatts to show up.” 

“I am willing to try anyway, if you are.”  Zeno said, already having acknowledged that differences between the species could pose a problem.  “If not, I will see about finding someone that will.” 

“Tattooists that would in a heartbeat likely wouldn’t care if you suffered adverse effects afterward:  they would just care about the profit and the prestige of having inked an Elite.”  The man thought a moment; then sighed with resignation.  “Alright, if you are that determined, let us take this one step at a time.  Come around and have a seat and take your shirt off please.” 

Zeno walked around the counter and studied the seat a moment, checking to see if it could handle his weight before sitting down.  After he was certain the chair was not going to break under his weight, he pulled his shirt off.  The human, in the meantime had pulled on a pair of medical gloves, and then proceed to feel and pinch his skin.  

“Damn, when they said you guys were pretty much all muscle they weren’t kidding,” the man muttered, to which Zeno just snorted.  “Where you were thinking of having this tatt?” 

“Left chest, shoulder and arm.”  Zeno replied. 

“Well, from that I can tell that will make things easier.  Your skin in those places doesn’t feel too much different from a human’s, if only a little thicker.  Are those scales on your back?” 

“Yes.  All of my kind has them to a degree:  depends on the region our ancestry is from.  In my case, just the top of the neck and top half of the back.  With others it can cover more areas.” 

“I will keep that in mind next time one of your kind come in looking to get inked if this works out.  Scales are a no go: I know the needles will not penetrate well there.” 

“Will I bleed?”  Zeno asked, suddenly realizing one part of this process he didn’t consider. 

“Yes.  Everyone bleeds while getting a tatt. It is the reason why all our needles are single use only and sterilization is mandatory.  How much during and after largely depends on the individual and the region the tatt is placed.  Will that be a problem?” 

Zeno thought it over a moment.  He was already willing to defile his body by having this done, but to lose some of his honor as well during the process?  _For Miko…Yes._   His mind made up, he shook his head in the negative.  “No, it will not,” he said. 

“Alright, let us do a test spot.” 

“Test spot?” 

“Recommended to ensure the client doesn’t have an adverse reaction to the ink.” 

Zeno nodded, remembering Luke’s comment about that. 

“It would also be a good test to see if my equipment can handle this,” the man said softly as he set up his equipment.  After a moment, the man was ready and Zeno watched anxiously as the artist applied a small dot of ink on his wrist.  The device used was a lot quieter than Zeno expected and the application of the ink itself was relatively painless:  it almost tickled, actually. 

“That went easier than I thought it would,”  the man said when he was finished.  “What kind of tatt were you thinking of getting.” 

“Something with flames,” Zeno replied. 

“There are a lot of designs involving flames, friend.” 

“Forgive me but, my people do not do things like this, so I have no idea how to narrow it down.” 

“It’s OK.  That is why we have the data base and all tattoos can be customized for each customer.  Let us work on what style of flames you want first and go from there.” 

They went over to the database terminals and the artist started flipping through the different flame styles.  By the gods there were so many and it was hard to choose, but he eventually settled on a style that had a slight tribal influence.  After that, the artist did a scan of the areas of Zeno’s body where he wanted it.  For the next couple of hours, the man ‘drew’ possible tattoo designs over this scan on a computer screen, asking Zeno constantly for input as he did so.  Zeno was finding the whole process rather fascinating. 

Finally, they settled on an overall design.  The artist, whom finally revealed his name to be ‘Dave’ told him to come back in about a week to start the process.  He explained that he wanted to ensure he had enough ink and needles for what would be a massive job: he also gave Zeno his contact information so he could call him if he had any questions, or if the test spot started giving him problems. 

Zeno thanked him and returned to the Cairo.  He felt both terrified and yet eager, for the upcoming tattooing process.   Zeno also decided, slyly, to keep Luke in the dark about this until it was complete. 

\-- 

_A five weeks later._

 

Zeno stood in front of the mirror, studying his nude form and the final result of the tattooing process.  A black flame now burst from his left breast, a fiery tongue arced across the front of his shoulder and two more flame bursts were on his arm, one on the upper arm, the other on the lower.  It was so big that it took three visits, each one week apart, to have it completed. 

He remembered the process.  Sitting in that chair for hours as Dave meticulously applied the design:  his rear was often sore afterward.  The only time the tattooing process itself hurt was when Dave had to work over his collar bone, which wasn’t that bad, really:  Dave stated that it was usually the areas where the skin was close to the bone that hurt the most, or places like the neck. 

One time another Sangheili mistakenly walked in.  The older male was likely of high rank going by how horrified his expression was at what Zeno was having done to him.  When the male commented about it, Zeno flipped him his best impression of ‘the bird’.  Fortunately, the male did not know what the expression meant and Dave quickly directed the male to the weapon shop afterward.  Only other incidents were involving humans that came in and gawked at him for a few moments:  Zeno was used to that by now. 

He did bleed during the process, but thankfully not very much.  It was the healing process afterward that annoyed the heck out of him.  Dave had given him all the information he could about keeping the area clean while the skin healed and to avoid scratching if it itched.  That was the hardest part, actually, keeping himself from scratching.  Somehow though he managed and he was happy with the results:  he made sure Dave was paid well for his service. 

Zeno ran his hand over the freshly healed tattoo over and over again, marveling how it turned out.  He now had a piece of Miko with him, a symbolic memorial, which would remain with him for the rest of his life.  It gave him a small bit of closure and the hope that Miko’s ghost would no longer haunt him. 

He hoped it would be enough to finally move on, for he had his own future to see to….


End file.
